When Life Gives You Avengers
by YesThatWasMe
Summary: Sometimes it pays to be careful what you wish for. Darcy Lewis learned this lesson the hard way one sunny Wednesday afternoon.
1. Chapter 1

Sometimes it pays to be careful what you wish for. Darcy Lewis learned this lesson the hard way one sunny Wednesday afternoon. It was a day in the lab/ Jane's mom's basement(because Jane refused to be held down by the man aka shield when they'd offered her a full lab at an undisclosed research facility back in the states and Tony Stark personally irked her for some odd reason Darcy was not privy to, yet) like any other. Jane was feverishly working on Science! while Darcy spun in steady circles in her rolly chair and monitored the thinga-ma-bob (she forgot the name) like Jane had told her to. She was feeling kind of blah-ish to be honest.

Thor, her appointed soap opera buddy, was currently off world at some sort of alien peace summit ("It's actually an annual council, Lady Darcy"), Eric was somewhere deep within the bowls of shield (the traitor. Ok not really, she just really missed him.), and she'd dumped Ian after he'd gotten obsessive and weird (planning future children after two weeks of dating and waking up to find your boyfriend, who you hadn't even gotten past kissing yet, holding a piece of glass under your nose to see if you're still breathing was just plain freaky).

Not to mention Jane had been on her science bender for almost 72 hrs straight. The woman had fallen asleep with half a pop-tart hanging from her open mouth. By the time she snapped back awake, a mere 5 minutes later, the pop-tart had fallen into her lap and she was muttering theories and equations to herself. Now that was dedication. So yeah, Darcy was feeling a little strained. She didn't have Jane's manic brilliance to fuel her. Not everyone could survive on science and pop-tart fumes.

And she was sooo bored. She really wished _something_ exciting would happen. Usually she found ways to entertain herself during epic feats of science-osity, but she was tapped out. She'd streamed as much reality TV as she could before her feebled mind threw in the towel. And she promised Thor she wouldn't watch the next episode of their favorite soap without him(the father of Sylvia's baby was about to be revealed in the next episode but Thor's council thingy got in the way of their plans, booo). She'd listened to her myriad number of playlists on her phone (she never did get that ipod back...). She'd baked more muffins than her, Jane, and Jane's mom could eat in a month.

"Hey boss lady, when's Thor touching back down? It's not that I don't love your science montages and overall astrophysical badassery, but I think your hair growled at me when I brought you coffee earlier. How about a shower..., and a nap..., and some food you'd use an actual fork to eat?"

Jane mumbled something unintelligible and kept writing out calculations. Darcy sighed. It looked like she was going to have to shock her out of her science stupor.

"Oh Janey?"

"Meh." Jane answered.

"What is it about Tony Stark that bothers you so much?" Jane's head snapped up. Oh yeah, that did it. "Don't ask. He's an ass, that's all you need to know." Then she went right back to her work. Darcy shrugged. _Eh, you win some you lose some_ she thought.

She started twirling a roll of duct tape around her wrist and debating either wrangling Jane into a shower and proper nap or making an epic sword out of tape and printer paper so she could play battle Thor when he got back, when the ceiling burst in. The fucking. Ceiling. Burst in. Before she could think about it, she was across the room pulling Jane up from her chair and dragging her over to the little closet with the door cleverly disguised as a book shelf. First she yanked a long strip of duct tape off the roll still around her wrist and wrapped it around Jane's mouth and hair. Then she pulled the hidden latch, wrapped more tape around Jane's wrists, and pushed her inside.

"Stay here, don't say anything; there's not enough room for the both of us. I've got this boss lady, they want you not me," Darcy shot her a wink before she shut the door on Jane's muffled protests, her bound hands struggling to rip the offending tape from her mouth. She really hoped Jane forgave her for the haircut she'd most likely have to get later. Shorter hair was way better than torture and an agonizingly slow death though.

Turning to face the room, she moved a little bit closer to the stairs to make it seem like she'd been making a run for it. Someone in tactical gear dropped in through the hole, a shocker baton at the ready. Darcy recognized it because she'd considered getting one for herself after the whole dark elves thing. And Ian. But she'd decided to modify her taser instead. It was easier fitting a palm sized taser inside her purse than a big freakin shock baton anyway. She whipped it out glad to have had the foresight to have kept it in her hoodie pocket. She could have sworn she heard a disbelieving chuckle coming from tacti-jerk across the room but she was too busy counting the number of threateningly dressed people rappelling in through the ceiling. Huh, five. Including one giant dude with a metal arm. A fucking metal arm. This would not end well. She took out two in the first 2 minutes (ha, video games Did build faster reflexes). But after she turned on metal man (take out the biggest bitch in the yard and the rest will follow) her taser backfired on her, shocking them both. She was right she thought as everything went black, it didn't end well. Her last coherent memory was the taser sliding from her slack fingers.

It was an hour later by the time Jane was found and released from the closet, red faced and flustered with bits of tape stuck to her face and hair.

She looked into the face of the man who rescued her, then promptly slapped it. "You're alive?!"

Phil Coulson rubbed the hand shaped spot newly imprinted on his face, raising his other hand to the Asian woman in the corner of the room who'd started to advance. "No, May I think I kind of had that coming. Though I think maybe Fury deserved the brunt of it. Yes Dr. Foster, I am alive, my death was largely exaggerated. But that is not what's pertinent at the moment. Can you tell me what happened here? Shield had your lab monitored but the main video feed was cut shortly after the ceiling caved in. Our tech specialist is working to retrieve the footage from a secondary feed."

Jane was shaking with fear and anger. How could she? How could Darcy just sacrifice herself like that? For her, when she barely paid her any attention on the best of days. Her, when at times she'd looked at Darcy with exasperation when her mouth got ahead of her at some of the most awkward times. She wished Darcy and her mouth were there right then, she'd really have something to say about Agent Coulson's resurrection. Jane burst into tears.

When Thor arrived through the hole in the ceiling moments later, it was understandable why the sound of a fast approaching storm could be heard outside and why his hammer crackled with electricity. His lady was distraught and threatened, in the presence of a man thought dead. He pointed his hammer at him and the woman wrapped in shadows and death that accompanied him. "Unhand my lady wraith, or face the consequences. How dare you wear the face of a treasured friend? You will pay surely."

Snapping out of her hysteria, Jane put her hands up and ran to Thor. "No it's really him Thor. Its ok, shield just covered it up. Like usual."

Immediately Thor calmed, his face lit in a smile. "Ah, then our comrade in arms has returned to us from Fólkvangr. This is a reason to celebrate and be merry, why do you cry so Jane?"

Jane curled into Thor's chest. "They took Darcy Thor. When the ceiling blew she duct taped my mouth shut and shoved me into the closet. She wouldn't come in with me. She said there wasn't enough room, but there was! She sacrificed herself, let herself get captured, to protect me. They were looking for me!"

A sudden and fierce lightning storm burst into existence on an otherwise sunny day in London.


	2. Chapter 2

Authors Note: Hi, just a warning that things get a little violent for Darcy in this chapter. If violence is a trigger or against your personal beliefs please do not read.

"Do you like frisbee?" Darcy doesn't know why but it's the first thing that comes to mind as she watches him watching her. After days in the lab with Jane and now being kidnapped, she just couldn't take all the suspense. Of course he doesn't say anything, just stares at her with those cold blue eyes like he'd been doing for the past half hour since she came to handcuffed to a rusting metal chair (at least she thinks it's been half an hour, she'd never really been good at time management).

"Personally I hate it, I mean what better con than to get people to chase after a flying circle right? I mean what's the goal, hey watch me catch this flat curved piece of plastic- it's _such_ a challenge. Sha right! But I was just wondering cuz ya know, you've got that spiffy bionic arm, you look like you could be into a lot of ultimate sports on the weekends, not that you'd get those kinds of muscles just playing Frisbee, but still. And hey, maybe you go to a lot of bench pressing competitions here and there, who knows ya know?" That got her a slightly raised eyebrow on an otherwise expressionless face. Score one for the captive!

She shrugged, as much as she could while handcuffed to a chair. "I mean, you can like Frisbee if you want to, I'm not telling you _not_ to. It's your choice man. But as your new bestie –yeah I mean me, why are you looking at me like that? Dude we got shocked by the same tase stream, we're like lightening bros now- that's like blood brothers only I'm not a dude and it's less icky with all the gross blood and stuff. So really it's better than blood brothers. Oh and I totally already have a lightening bro, but it's cool. We watch soaps together and everything. Anyways as I was saying, it's cool if you like Frisbee but as your new bestie I will definitely introduce you to sports much more worth your time. Like Mario Cart, that's way competitive and you seem like the type who'd want to be the best."

His other eyebrow rose, yet he somehow managed to both look murdery and bored at the same time. Darcy was not deterred. "Wow, how do you make those murderously calm facial expressions like that? Could you teach me? I would so own that dude down at the café near Jane's lab that won't stop staring at my chest and 'accidentally' leaning into my personal space across the counter because the change 'slipped' through his fingers. The weirdo." One eyebrow went down at that. She was making progress.

"So, when are you bustin me out? No seriously, don't give me that look. You can do whatever the hell you want; you don't have to listen to them. And since we've become friends-yes we're friends, don't you give me that micro face scrunch- , friends don't let friends stay kidnapped. So when are we bustin out? Cuz off the top of my head I can think of like 20 better jobs for you than super henchman. Number one is buff florist-flowers are pretty to look at and it's a calm environment." She was overjoyed when she saw the corner of his mouth twitch.

The door to her tiny cell opened suddenly and bionic arm man's barely slightly micro expressive face shut down completely as he straightened from his lean against the wall. _Uh oh_ , Darcy thought, _looks like the fun's over._

A rail thin man in a suit and tie entered. He looked average, like he worked in an office somewhere. Darcy immediately did not like this man. There was cruelty in his eyes and stance. "Ah, Miss Lewis such a pleasure to finally meet you. Let's have a lovely little chat shall we?" His attention briefly shifted to the silent sentry in the room without taking his eyes off of her. "You are no longer needed Soldier, begin your next mission."

Darcy only saw it because she was watching him over the thin guy's shoulder; Soldier hesitated briefly. But apparently her soon to be interrogator had eyes in the back of his head because he turned to face the soldier then. "Is there a problem you'd like to address, Soldier?"

Soldier didn't say anything, just walked out of the room. Twizzle stick turned back to Darcy as he pulled a phone from his suit pocket, pressed a button, and spoke. "Soldier may need to be wiped. He hesitated after given an order. Watch him closely."

Wiped? They were gonna kill the guy over one little miniscule pause? _Jeez, these people are cold blooded_ , Darcy thought. She felt a little bad that she'd maybe gotten "Soldier" in trouble by talking to him nonstop, but she also felt a little joyed that maybe she'd gotten to him a little. If she could just get him back in the room with her before they did anything to him, maybe she could warn him about it thus bringing him completely over to Team Darcy. And she needed to figure out a way to get ahold of Twizzle's phone too.

Of course Darcy was distracted by her own thoughts so much so that she hadn't realized that Twizzle had finished his phone conversation/murder plans and placed his undivided attention on her. She flinched inside when she looked up into those murky brown eyes of his. This was someone who could really make her hurt, and enjoy the process as he did it.

"Here is how it's going to be Miss Lewis; you are to answer my questions honestly and quickly." As he spoke the door opened and three lackeys trooped in carrying a chair, a desk, and a car battery with jumper cables and a dial attached. "If you need a moment to answer at length, you will be given exactly two minutes to gather your thoughts. You will tell me what I want to know. You will _mind_." Yep, she definitely didn't like him.

As they attached the jumper cables to the back and bottom of her chair Darcy's mouth did what it did best in stressful situations. Ran. Sarcastically. "Aww, come on freaky kidnapper dude, you know I don't know anything. _I_ know I don't know anything. Just ask my boss- oh wait you can't, you dumbasses kidnapped the wrong person. I was just around for comic relief and semi habitual feedings. Ha, I'm worth nothing; sucks to be you."

Twizzle simply smiled, ratcheting her fear up even farther into the stratosphere. She was in deep shit. He leaned forward and twisted the dial. "Let's begin shall we."

Darcy could not reply, too busy reacting to the electricity jolting through her body.

Back in the destroyed lab Jane paced in front of a worried Thor. "We've got to get her back Thor. We have to, because it's Darcy. She's the best assistant I've ever had. She stayed, she didn't have to but she did. She took care of me. She's my best friend." She stopped abruptly wiping tears from her face. "She knows all of my work. Oh god, she knows all of my work and _she's Darcy_."

Thor placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I am sure Darcy would not willingly give away the secrets to your life's work."

Jane turned to face him, "That's just it Thor. She won't. It's Darcy, loyal sarcastic Darcy. The bigger and more intrusive the questions get, the sassier she's going to get. She doesn't react well to threats or authority."

Thor pulled her into a hug. "Do not worry, we will find her in time. Lady Darcy is strong, all will not be lost."

Agent Coulson finished his low toned conversation across the room with his associate, Agent May. He approached them with a face set in stone. "I've got the footage from our secondary feeds. Our tech specialist just finished piecing it together." Thor and Jane crowded around him as he held up his phone screen.

They could see Darcy dragging Jane away from her desk as the building shook and the ceiling fell in. Jane growled as she watched Darcy administer the duct tape gag and shove her into the closet. Then she gasped in fear as she watched Darcy pull her taser out of her hoodie pocket and drop two men who had just come down from the hole above and aim for a third, a large man with a metal arm. But something went wrong as the probes latched onto his arm, Darcy was shocked as well. She fell to the floor losing her grip on the electrical device, the last man she'd tased going down with her. The others cautiously approached her, one man kicking the taser from her limp hand while another spoke into an ear piece . "Bringing her in, we'll be mobile shortly. We've got injured with us…. Yes sir, Soldier as well… affirmative. Yes sir."

The man turned and promptly shot the two unconscious men on the floor. He then took a vial from his tactical vest and stepped over to the man with the metal arm. "Secure the prisoner, get ready for transport," he called over to the others as he held the vial under the man's nose.

He snapped awake, quickly and efficiently getting to his feet. The leader pointed towards the now dead bodies. "Clean them up, get rid of them. Then meet us back at ops."

The man with the arm glanced over to Darcy, who was now handcuffed and hanging unconscious over another operative's shoulder. As if answering his question, the leader stated, "Boss wants information, she has it. Wouldn't wanna be her when Mannic gets over to her."

The metal armed man shook his head and walked over to pick up both of the dead men. He followed the rest of the men plus Darcy out of the lab.

Jane was crying again, Thor trying to comfort her and hold back his own anger. They had taken someone precious to him, a sister of his heart much like Sif was. They would pay dearly.

Steadying Jane against his side he turned to Coulson. "I'm calling in the team Son of Coul. They would greatly help me in the quest to save the Lady Darcy."

Agent Coulson nodded grimly. "I figured as much. Unfortunately Agent May and I have been called away to an urgent matter, otherwise we would stay and help. Though I'm sure with three geniuses, two master spies, a master tactician, and yourself at your disposal, you will find Miss Lewis in time. I would appreciate if you didn't mention my status to the team; I feel it would be best explained face to face." As Thor nodded his understanding he turned to Jane and produced a card containing a single phone number. "Call me with whatever you need. I sent the footage to your phone so you can show the rest of the team. Hopefully they can shake something loose from it. I'm sorry we can't stay to help you more on this, good luck." He and agent May left the destroyed room.

Jane watched Thor as he crossed the room and took out the cell phone she had gotten him. Then she remembered she needed to make a phone call as well and started dialing. The other line picked up on the fourth ring. "Eric its Jane, they took Darcy. Thor's calling in the rest of the Avengers."

Darcy grinned manically around the blood pooling in her mouth and around her teeth. She'd bitten her tongue after the last punch to the face and subsequent electro shock. "You're never going to find her. She moved to another _planet_. She's not coming back shitheads!"

She knew one of her eyes was swollen shut because she couldn't see out of it. She'd earned that one early on, when asked to state her name for the record she replied with "I'm an animal, vegetable and mineral bitches." Needless to say Twizzle was not impressed.

Darcy lost track of time after he rolled up his sleeves and had a wet sponge in a bucket attached to one of the cables. She received a question and a resulting shock every time.

"Where do you live?"

"The gingerbread house on Drury Lane. I'm sure if you ask real nice the witch will give you some candy."

Zaazap.

"Where were you born?"

"The free state of Fuck You, they have an awesome gift shop."

Zaazaap.

"How did Dr. Foster gain access to the convergence during the event in London?"

"She closed her eyes and wished really reeaally hard."

Zaazaaaap.

They took a break when she started seizing from the electricity and vomiting from the punches she'd received to her stomach and ribs. She knew she wouldn't last much longer at this rate. She passed out multiple times during the torture. That's when they started injecting her with the funky purple liquid. She didn't know what the hell that stuff was but it burned when it hit her veins and seemed to react negatively to the electroshock sessions. That's when she really screamed, it felt like her blood was boiling it hurt so badly.

She prayed for Thor every night. At least she thought it was night, when they finally let up for a few hours. Shivering and seizing until she finally fell into a shallow sleep. Only to be startled awake by the twizzle stick man, who was way stronger than he looked, and set up for more questions and torture. Or torture and questions.

She got lucky on what she guessed was the third day. The old rusted out chair had a thin piece of metal stripping off the bottom close to her left hand and she worked on it every time she could risk it without getting caught. She held that piece clenched in her hand now, waiting for her chance.

She got it when Twizzle leaned into her personal space to taunt her. "You're going to die here if you do not give me any answers-" He was cut off from continuing because Darcy head-butted him. She slipped her secretly freed left hand into his coat pocket while he raised his hands to his bleeding nose, slipped his phone out and placed her hand back into the cuff. She pushed the phone down the back of her pants as best she could through the open space in the back of the chair. Meanwhile Twizzle yelled in angered pain and backhanded her so hard spots danced in front of her eyes.

Her head hurt and she knew she would pay for it, but it was totally worth it. Darcy Lewis was blowin this popsicle stand bitches. Twizzle left the room to tend to his busted nose. She waited until she was sure she was alone before she pulled out the phone behind her back. She'd become a master at blind texting while working for Jane. She could hold a conversation and text under the table without breaking eye contact. Luckily the phone was a similar model to hers. She didn't send a text to Jane's phone though. When Twizzle came back for his phone they would be able to trace it to her. Instead she sent herself an email, sure Jane would find it somehow. Then she dropped the phone and caught it between the backs of her heels, sliding it under the desk in front of her using her foot hoping it would look as if it had fallen out of Twizzle's pocket when he'd recoiled from Darcy's head-butt.

She really hoped Jane was being paranoid about everything and checking Darcy's work email.

A


	3. Chapter 3

Jane walked around the trashed lab picking up papers and checking to see what was taken. What was baffling was nothing _was_ taken. Only Darcy. She was about to voice her discovery when Iron Man flew in through the ceiling and landed next to Thor.

"Hey Sparky, what's shakin?" Tony's armor receded back from his body to reveal him in a band t-shirt and jeans. He stepped out of the suit outlining his body, flicking his wrist to send it to sentry mode. "All you said on the phone, which I have to admit I miss you calling it the voice conveyance, was that one of your allies had been kidnapped."

"Hello friend Stark, sadly yes a woman my Jane and I view as family, Darcy Lewis, was taken from us. In an effort to protect Jane, the Lady Darcy allowed herself to be captured. But not before felling a few of her adversaries before she herself fell unconscious from her efforts. Shield was here previously as they had been monitoring Jane's work, there is footage of the altercation available and a man's name was spoken. Mannic. Perhaps you can trace him with your virtual manservant. Where are the others?"

Tony paced around the room as he listened, poking around the papers and machines still intact. "On their way in the quinjet, should be here in a few minutes. So where's the copy of this footage? Jarvis, get me everything you can from the traffic cameras and satellites in the area."

"Of course sir."

Jane jumped, "What was that?"

Stark was looking at something on one of Jane's computers. "Hmm, oh that would be Jarvis, my artificial intelligence. I tapped into your systems before I got here. Who set that up by the way?" He tapped a few keys as he spoke. "It was a little harder than I was expecting it to be; seriously it was like the effort of ripping through a stack of paper rather than the pre melted cotton candy I assumed it was. No concentrated effort for me whatsoever, but there was a little raw skill there. You mind if I commandeer your servers Doc? Yeah thanks, already did."

Jane sputtered. Tony grinned, "Still mad at me doc? Come on, it was only a few notes. They weren't that important. Plus it was years ago, you gotta let it go at some point."

"It was my _dissertation_ Tony, not a few simple notes." Jane's hands clenched in anger for a moment before she blew out a frustrated breath, "But that's not what's important right now. We need to find Darcy. Can you do that, because if you can't then I'm wasting my time talking to you and Thor was wrong about your dedication to keeping the world safe and helping people."

Thor wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "We will find her Jane. Stark you would do well to stay on task to the problem at hand, whatever issue my lady has with you will be settled at a later date."

"Making friends wherever you go Stark?" Hawkeye walked down the stairs bow in hand, hopping over debris as he went. "As usual," Natasha Romanoff followed behind, proving she was rarely far from her partner and friend.

Dr. Banner appeared next, cautiously picking his way down into the lab. "Hello Thor, Dr. Foster."

Steve Rogers brought up the rear, the shield on his back shining in the fading light of the day. "Thor, Dr. Foster I'm sorry about your friend. We'll be doing everything we can to save her." He turned to Tony. "Tony, what do you have?"

"Well Capsicle I have which way they were going, but the satellites loose them about 30 minutes in. They're using cloaking tech that I _know_ isn't mine. Jarvis get me a list of people with the capabilities to create sub-par cloaking technology on a largi _sh_ scale, see if there's anyone named "Mannic" associated in any way." Tony headed back over to his suit. "So the suit's got a projector function, let's take a look at this footage you have on Miss Lewis's kidnapping. Maybe the wonder twins can figure what type of guys we're dealing with. Put it up J."

"Yes Sir."

Jane choose not to watch the recording again. Instead she watched the reactions of the avengers as they watched the tape.

The Captain asked the most obvious question as he watched Darcy shove Jane into the closet. "But there _was_ room, why wouldn't she take cover with you in the closet?"

"I don't know," Jane answered softly.

Bruce shook his head, "She had to know what would have happened, if she stayed out there. But she did it anyway…"

Natasha's face was neutral as she observed the operatives pouring into the room. "The first two men are mercenaries. They were sent in first on the off chance there was resistance."

Clint's face was grim as he observed Darcy's first assailant fall victim to her taser. "You're right Nat. The first two are cannon fodder so to speak, look there in the corner of the screen, see the third guy holding back? He's waiting for the others to take the brunt of it before he and his team move in."

The second half of the team came into view and Steve tensed, staring at the man with the metal arm. "Bucky."

Natasha swore in Russian, Clint in English. At the concerned look on Thor and Jane's faces, Natasha explained. "It was Hydra. We took down the main cell embedded inside shield but there are still small clusters left all over the world. Sargent Barnes was the man we fought in DC. We believe he wound up in Hydra's hands after he was assumed to be killed in action. They brainwashed him and turned him into an enhanced assassin known as the Winter Soldier."

Tony grimaced as he watched Darcy turn her taser on the Winter Soldier. "Kid's got balls, I'll tell you that." He glanced over at Jane, newfound respect in his eyes, "She mod that taser herself? It's pretty good despite the backfire."

Jane nodded tears forming in her eyes again as she watched Darcy being carried away. "She said we needed stronger protection after the Dark Elves. And her ex-boyfriend."

"She fought bravely Jane, despite knowing how much greater the opposing force was. She continues to fight even now as we speak. And when we find her we will wreck vengeance upon our foes the likes of which they've never seen. This I vow to you." Lightening flashed outside at the end of Thor's speech.

Tony opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Jarvis. "Sir?"

"Yeah J?"

"It appears Miss Lewis has just received an email on her work server, shall I open it?"

"Open it!" Jane shouted before Tony could respond.

They were electrocuting her again when the power went out. Darcy thought it was just another form of torture they were planning but Twizzle's anger at being interrupted was too real. "What is the meaning of this?" He growled into his phone.

They heard the sound of feet running past the door in utter chaos. Twizzle stood from his chair, placing the syringe full of purple liquid he'd been about to inject into her arm on the table beside them. He stepped over to the door and pulled it open gesturing to the grunt in the room with them. "Go see what is going on."

With a nod the man left his position behind Darcy's chair and stepped out into the hall. Before he could take a step he was falling to the floor as another soldier stepped into the room, Darcy's Soldier (though when she started thinking of him as hers she wasn't sure). He looked at her weak form slumped in the chair then promptly wrapped his hand around Twizzle's throat. Twizzle choked out a phrase in Russian. Soldier released him immediately, his hands falling loosely at his sides, his stare fixed straight ahead. The light's came back on and Darcy focused of Soldier's face with here good eye, hoping to entreat him to attack Twizzle again and _freaking help her dammit_. But his face was impassive.

Rubbing his throat, Twizzle spoke into his phone again. "Come retrieve the Soldier, he will be going for wiping and reprogramming."

Five minutes later four armed men came to the door dressed in head to toe body armor. "Take him to the chair," Twizzle directed. Darcy kept expecting Soldier to suddenly go on the offensive but he did not. Instead he allowed himself to be marched out of the room, taking Darcy's hopes of rescue with him.

Turning to her Twizzle sighed and started to roll his sleeves back down his arms. "Well this is unfortunate, I feel as though we were about to make a breakthrough my dear." He put his suit coat back on. "Not to worry I shall return shortly, after I deal with a problem."

Stepping into the hall he pulled a passing henchman into the room, "Watch her," and strode away.

The guard pulled the door closed and sat down in the chair across from her, a menacing look on his face. Darcy sneered right back, her split lip stinging. "So Henchman number 87, what's the pay rate for murder, kidnapping, and torture these days? Get a bonus for being as big a dickhead as your boss? Oh, do you guys have seminars on being assholes and general asshole-ish behavior?"

Henchman no.87 placed his hand on his holstered gun and growled. Darcy tsked, "Gotta tell ya man, the text book 'reach and menace' isn't really working for you. Hey maybe you should try growing a dastardly mustache/goatee combo to twirl and stroke deviously, really sell the part of second asshole from the left."

He was reaching for her with his other hand cocked back in a fist when the door blew in (What was it with everyone and blowing shit open? Doorknobs were not a myth!). "Aww now come on, some people rock the hell out of that combo- myself included." Iron Man flew into the room. "Hello I'm Iron Man I'll be your rescuer today." He sent a blast from his gauntlets at the guard, knocking him to the floor. "And your asskicker, feel free to fill out the survey at the end."

Explosions rocked the building followed by gunfire and angered shouts. Captain America ran in shield at the ready. "We've gotta move Tony, Thor is tearing the place apart. The buildings gonna come down around our ears if we don't get her out of here." He snapped Darcy's cuffs off the chair catching her as she fell forward. She petted one of his pecs as he lifted her into a carry. "Wow, my shoulder angel and my shoulder devil both came to rescue me. Awesome." Then she passed out.

After grabbing the forgotten syringe off the table and placing it into a compartment in one of his gauntlets, Tony flew out ahead of them into the hallway, blasting any henchmen that came in their direction as they made their way out of the dilapidated factory. "She alright Cap?"

Steve glanced down at the bloody and bruised young woman in his arms as he ran. She looked so small. How she'd survived everything she'd been through he wasn't sure, but then again he'd been small himself once upon a time. "I'm not sure, I think she-" He was cut off as Darcy's body started jerking violently.

"Shit, she's seizing. Bruce get the meds ready, she's in bad shape. We're gonna be coming in hot. Hold on to the kid Cap." Tony blasted a hole into the roof, grabbed Captain America around the waist and flew all of them straight out of the top of the building. He headed for the quinjet waiting a few yards from the entrance of the factory, avoiding the lightening crackling in the air. Thor's rage was palpable.

Tony landed, releasing Captain America to run the rest of the way up the ramp of the plane with Darcy. He placed her now still body gently on a gurney and stepped out of Bruce's way. Jane, who'd insisted on coming through threat of finding the factory herself, hovered at his shoulder. "Oh god, what did they do to her?"

"I'm not completely sure yet but it looks like she was beaten and electrocuted." Bruce stated as he examined the visible bruises on her face, wrists, and chest. "Here help me turn her on her side; we need to get her clothes off so I can see the extent of the damage. There's a hospital gown in the cabinet behind you." He handed Jane a pair of scissors as she handed over the gown and they got to work. "Cap we need to get ready to take off soon, Miss Lewis is going to need a proper hospital."

Thor arrived as Bruce was examining a particular deep bruise over Darcy's ribcage and Jane was gently wiping the blood off her face. He stood behind Jane with anger in his eyes, not completely satisfied with the destruction he'd wrecked on the factory and its occupants.

Clint ran in next, hopping into the pilot's seat. "Tash is staying behind to secure the site. A shield team is on the way to help with clean up. Strap in."

Darcy's body started jerking again. "Darcy!" Jane cried.

"Here, I'm going to turn her on her side again. Jane there's an anticonvulsant in the drawer behind you, get it for me." Bruce administered the drug after Jane handed it over and waited while Darcy calmed down.

Tony stepped over to Jane who was fighting back angry tears, "You'd be real proud Foster, she was bloody and strapped to a chair but the kid was giving the guard hell when I got there." Jane nodded as she watched her friend. "That's Darcy. A smartass all the way; she especially doesn't like bullies."

Steve's mouth tightened at that. "She and I have that in common then. Dr. Foster, I assure you that the people responsible will pay for this and all their other crimes. I won't let Hydra slip through the cracks this time."

Jane gave a small bittersweet smile. "From what I hear, you didn't slouch on the job the last time. This isn't your fault Captain. If Darcy were awake right now she'd probably tell you the same thing, only with a lot more sass and swears. And fangirling." She pointed to Tony. "She almost reminds me of that one over there sometimes, with the things that come out of her mouth." Tony snapped to attention at that comment, giving the girl on the gurney a speculative look. "How old did you say this kid was?"

"She just turned 24." Jane answered absently.

"Huh." Tony replied noncommittally. "What was her full name again?"

"Darcy Marie Lewis."

"Huh…"


	4. Chapter 4

Well the humming was nice. And familiar. Who did she know who hummed? Darcy opened bleary eyes to a dimmed room. There was a giant with blonde fur sitting next to her bed. He was holding a tiny, sad bedraggled pixie and humming. It was very comforting, the humming. She decided to open her mouth and tell them so. "Don't cry little pixie, the fur is humming. I love this song." The words were slurred but Darcy knew they got the point as she watched their blurry forms surge out of the chair and hover over her. She smiled, "Pretty." Yes, the humming was nice. _Wonder if I can download it later,_ she thought as she sunk back into darkness again.

There was a light flashing behind her closed eyes. Why was there a light flashing behind her eyes? And why was it so cold? She thought she and Jane fixed the problem with the air conditioning system over a month ago. And where was that damn annoying light coming from? Had she fallen asleep with the curtains open again? Darcy hated waking up before she was ready. It was always hard for her to fall immediately back to sleep. She started to reach her arm up so she could flop it across her face and block out the light but froze at the pain shooting through her chest. "Shit, fuck, damn that hurts!"

"Yeah you might not want to move too much right now kid. Bruised ribs hurt like hell."

Hmm, this was peculiar. It sounded like a Tony Stark impersonator was in her bedroom. Why was a Tony Stark impersonator in her bedroom? And who could have hired the impersonator? It couldn't be Thor. She hadn't explained the concepts of pranking your friends and recording it for later blackmail material yet. Couldn't be Jane. She didn't even like Tony Stark; she'd never pay for someone to impersonate him around her. Ian maybe? But why? Did he think he would win her back with some kind of weird gesture? Didn't he understand what "leave me alone creep" meant? Ah well, looked like she had some balls to tase…

"First of all, not an impersonator, I'm the real deal. And come on she's gotta like me a little right? I mean I almost singlehandedly saved you. Cap and the guys helped too. And I even got you this swank hospital room. Sure I paid for the building, but I still got verbal with the staff. Well, ok that was actually Pepper, you'll meet her, but she was my proxy. As far as tasing balls go, tase away as long as they aren't mine. Cap could sure use a little excitement…"

Huh, guess she'd said that out loud.

"Yep." Came the reply from the not Tony Stark impersonator.

Where was Jane? And Thor? Where was she for that matter?

"Well you're in the hospital, _my_ hospital to be exact. Foster's getting coffee. And big, blonde, and static went with Barton back to London to help pack up the rest of Foster's lab. Looks like you guys are moving in."

Moving in? What the hell? Jane hated Stark; she'd never live in the same building with him. She was calling bullshit on this one, they so were not moving in with the Avengers.

"Are too. And hate's such a strong word. What's so wrong about living in my building? Don't you wanna be my neighbor? We could totally gossip over the fence and prank Banner, Rogers, and Thor. They're askin' for it. I heard about that thing you did with the Vaseline and Thor's hammer. I want in kid."

Despite the weird Mr. Rogers reference, it would be totally awesome to pull pranks with Iron Man. And on an unrelated note, how hot would Captain America look in that Mr. Rogers sweater…?

"It totally would. And ew, I didn't need to hear that. Gah, now I can't stop picturing it!" Iron Man exclaimed.

And she was still saying everything out loud.

"Yep."

"Stop that. That's like super annoying and rude answering someone's out loud thoughts out loud."

"You're the one thinking out loud with no filter. Don't get mad at me cuz you can't handle your hospital drugs."

"And how do you handle _your_ hospital drugs?"

"Not that _that_ made any sense, but like a boss. It's called a high tolerance."

Jane's voice interrupted. "Are you seriously arguing with my sick and heavily sedated friend about _drug tolerance_? Seriously?"

Darcy finally opened her eyes. To her left she saw Jane standing in the doorway of what looked to be a hospital room, a freakin expensive hospital room, holding two steaming cups of coffee. To her right she saw Tony Stark (wow, it really _was_ Tony Stark) sitting in the visitor's chair with his feet propped up on the windowsill, a devilish grin on his face.

Then she noticed how short Jane's hair was. Darcy winced and nodded to her now shorter locks "Shit, sorry about that boss. Duct tape is a bitch to deal with after the fact. The long pixie cut is cute though. You literally look like a fairy princess. A pissed fairy princess but a fairy princess all the same. Oh if you ever marry Thor you _would_ be a princess. Cool beans man."

Jane was staring at her incredulously. "Are you seriously making jokes right now? Darcy, you could have died! You almost did. You were having seizures. You have burns on your body from electrocution, deep bruises and cuts all over, _and_ two bruised ribs." She threw her coffee laden hands in the air, the liquid sloshing inside the paper cups. "They were talking about brain damage Darcy!" At this point Jane was weeping so openly that Tony, who was notorious for not liking to take things from people, jumped up from his chair and snatched the coffees out of her trembling hands before she spilled them all over herself and the floor.

Tears welled in Darcy's eyes, "Please don't cry Jane. I'm alright, I'll be ok."

Jane walked over and gave Darcy the gentlest hug possible. "Don't do that again, ok?"

"Ok."

Tony had just backed out of the room with both coffees in his hands (yes he was going to drink both) when Pepper approached. He handed her one (so maybe she was the only one he would share with) and wrapped an arm around her waist. "You gotta meet this kid Pep, she's…interesting."

Taking the second coffee absently, Pepper looked at Tony. Noting her silence Tony met her eyes, "What?" The usually unflappable Virginia "Pepper" Potts was pale and unsteady. "Pep, what's wrong?"

She took a breath. "It- there's someone waiting in conference room 1 for you. He-" She shook her head. "Just keep an open mind Tony; he's been through a lot."

Tony stared at Coulson, his face passive and calm. Pepper knew his outward appearance belied his true feelings. She knew inside he was boiling in anger and hurt. Tony both did and didn't give his friendship lightly. And despite the snark, Tony did consider Phil a friend. Before he died. Now Pepper wasn't so sure how he was feeling. Tony didn't take betrayal lightly either. She was still sorting out her own feelings. She understood government types, she'd worked with them her entire career. She understood about clearance and "need to know" but it still smarted. She'd cried at the memorial. Mourned her friendly, if stoic, "colleague". So she understood and she knew Tony. She braced herself for the coming fallout.

Tony looked Coulson up and down as he started to circle him, a hand stroking his chin and his face fixed in a look of fascination. "Hmm, I don't know Miss Potts, doesn't look like a ghost to me. It's not a zombie-

"Mr. Stark-"

" Oh oh, let me guess. Noseferatu? Cryogenics like Disney? Tax evasion? Anything that would justify the pain we went through because we were too late? Because you fuckin mattered to us? Anything, anything at all?"

"Mr. Stark I understand that to find me alive and relatively well is a shock-"

"Umm no, it would have been a shock _two years ago_ after we all thought you were dead! Now it's just a betrayal. A lie. I'm not shocked to find you alive; I thought you were fuckin dead and you just lied. Shocked is not a word to describe what I'm currently feeling. Did you know we avenged you? We pulled our shit together and everything! Two years and you couldn't pick up a phone or shoot us a quick email? Why now? Why not just go on pretending you were dead?"

"Well after the situation in London-"

"It's got something to do with the kid and Foster doesn't it? You're just itching to question them aren't you?"

"Well yes, we _would_ like to speak to Dr. Foster and Miss Lewis. It would also be best if Miss Lewis was in our custody, for her safety."

"We, who is this 'we'? There is no more Shield, it was gut rotted with Hydra. And no you're not taking my potential prank assistant -she's still being auditioned- into custody. She was kidnapped by Hydra, you guys were riddled with Hydra. See the problem there? No; get out of my donated hospital."

"Mr. Stark if you would please-"

"Oh Pepper, I thought dead men could tell no tales; yet I've got this buzzing sound in my ear…"

Tony turned his back and walked out of the room.

Back in Darcy's room Jane pulled back from their hug and examined her drooping assistant. "Sleepy?"

Darcy nodded, "Never thought just talking would make me this tired."

Jane snorted. "It must be the end of the world then, if talking makes _you_ tired."

Darcy giggled her eyelids getting heavier. "Nice burn Jane."

Jane frowned, "Darcy, you have to promise me you won't do something like this again. I mean it, you're like family. This was too close, not again ok?"

Darcy nodded her understanding. "Ok, I'll try not to get kidnapped in your place again. I'll get kidnapped based off my own awesomeness."

Jane growled in exasperation, "Darcy, be serious."

"Ok ok," Darcy slightly raised her right hand, wincing at the pain. "I Darcy Marie Lewis being of sound mind and hurting body promise not to throw myself into somebody else's kidnapping ever again, through threat of Jane's angry kitten look."

Satisfied, Jane walked over to the other side of Darcy's bed and moved the chair back into its original position before sitting down and pulling a notebook out of the bag hanging from her shoulder. "Now go back to sleep. I'm gonna sit here and do a few equations. Thor should be back soon, he's helping move our stuff."

"Ok, Janey. But you are so telling me why you hate Stark later…" Darcy closed her eyes as the sounds of furious scribbling and muttering lulled her back to sleep.

Thor looked up from his conversation with Clint as Steve and Natasha descended the stairs of the lab in London. "Captain, were you and agent Romanoff able to find your comrade?"

Steve shook his head, "He was long gone. From what we were able to uncover at the factory, Bucky was picked up by a secondary Hydra team waiting off in the wings just in case things went wrong for them during their play in DC. They were working to reestablish their foothold using Bucky as their battering ram in political kidnappings and assassinations around the world."

Natasha chose that moment to speak. "But something went wrong. I questioned one of the guards before we took him into custody; he worked in the surveillance room. He said after Miss Lewis's kidnapping the Soldier turned on his handlers. He had just returned from another mission directly after helping to acquire Miss Lewis," her eyes shifted to Steve, "And after they debriefed him he killed his main handler. Then he headed farther into the factory, cutting down anyone in his path. Their video feed was cut after that. According to the guard we arrived shortly afterwards."

"Farther in? Why would he go farther into the building rather than try to escape?" Barton asked as he taped a box full of papers and notebooks shut.

"Perhaps he was confused, or disoriented." Thor supplied.

Natasha shook her head. "No, I believe he was headed for Miss Lewis. My question is why. I've brought back the servers from the factory, the surveillance videos were all saved onto them. That includes the feed from the inside of Miss Lewis's cell."

Thor nodded stiffly. "I would very much like to know what the Lady Darcy has suffered through, at whose hands, so that I may smite them where they stand."

Steve placed a hand on Thor's shoulder. "We'll get to the bottom of all this. I promise you Miss Lewis will have justice."

Thor turned and clasped Steve's arm. "Thank you, Captain. And your comrade shall have justice for the atrocities done to him as well, this I vow in the name of Odin. We will keep our family safe."

Darcy was eating pudding with Tony and explaining what had happened in the last episode of her favorite soap when a stunning redhead stepped into the room. Darcy was so busy talking and enjoying pudding (it was dark chocolate and sooo good) that it took her longer than she would have liked to notice the glamazon in the room. _Seriously who can wear heels that high without snapping their ankles like toothpicks?_ Darcy thought admiringly. Or thought she thought.

"Pepper can." Tony said with a smile of pride, his feet propped up on the end of Darcy's hospital bed. He gestured with his own chocolate pudding laden spoon. "Pepper, come on in. Darcy was just telling me about Sylvia's baby on 'A day in The Life'-it's a soap apparently. Did you know that on the same night she slept with Roderick in a scheme to trick him out of a priceless painting, she was also knocked on the head by a falling brick, gained amnesia, wandered over into the next town where she met and subsequently slept with Roderick's long lost brother with whom he was separated at birth, regained her memory, went home and found out she was preggers?" His head tilted thoughtfully. "Do we own a soap opera?"

Darcy giggled weakly as Pepper's eyes crossed. "It grows on you, I promise. I'm Darcy; it's nice to meet you Miss Potts. Tony told me you're the one to thank for this awesome hospital room and all the great pudding. So thanks."

Pepper smiled gently as she looked at the girl in the hospital bed Tony had somehow become attached to (though he wouldn't admit it). "Hello Darcy, it's nice to meet you as well. I'm glad you like the room and the pudding. I'm also glad you're doing much better than you were when you were brought in." She looked over at Tony, "Tony I'm sorry to bother you but I need to discuss something with you in private."

Tony popped up and walked out into the hallway. Pepper looked back at Darcy with a bright smile.

"We'll be right back Darcy. While we're gone why don't you try to think up a list of clothing and other things you might need, and I'll have some things ordered for you."

Darcy nodded tiredly, "Ok, cool."

After she closed the hospital room door Pepper motioned Tony down the hall towards an empty room. Once inside Tony turned to Pepper with his hands up, "I know it's weird, but there's something about that kid I need to figure out."

Pepper smiled and shook her head, "It's not. I think it's good that you've made a new friend. And a loyal one at that if what she did for Dr. Foster is any indication. No, I wanted to talk to you without alarming Miss Lewis. Dr. Foster is Darcy's power of attorney and she put me on the approved list of people, along with her and Thor, allowed access to Darcy's medical information. I just spoke with the doctor as Jane went back to the tower to set Darcy's room up for when she is released. He found some irregularities in her blood work and would like to do some more tests. He would also like a family history but there's nothing in the file Dr. Foster had."

Tony nodded thoughtfully as he leaned back against the conference table and crossed his arms, "They may have been injecting her with something in the factory. I found a syringe in her cell when we rescued her; I swiped it and gave it to Bruce to study when we got back. He's back at the tower doing tests still. As for the family stuff why not just ask her?"

Pepper bowed her head in agreement, "I will tell her doctor about the syringe and get a sample from Bruce sent over." Her weary appearance drew Tony's attention. He voiced his concerns. "Pepper, what's going on?"

She flapped her hand, "It's nothing. Just had a little disagreement with a member of the board today; he thinks that you've gone crazy and put the standing of the company into jeopardy because you put me in charge and 'went superheoring'. But don't worry, it's just an annual minor annoyance, it will be handled."

Tony smirked, "I never worry about you handling things, Pep. You've handled me quite well." He wiggled his eyebrows and Pepper laughed as he'd intended. "But seriously, is that all he's done? Do you want me to go put the fear of me into him?"

"No, I've got it. I'm tougher than I look remember. You focus on the strangely endearing bond you're forming with Darcy. I think it'll be good for you."

He straightened up from the table, "Yeah, uh speaking of that. Think you could talk her doc into doing a favor for me?"

Her eyes narrowed, "What kind of favor?"

He coughed, his words unintelligible.

Now Pepper was really suspicious, she put the phone she'd started to pull out of her purse back. "What was that?"

"Secret paternity test," he mumbled.

He took a defensive stance as her eyebrows lifted nearly to her hairline. "What? She sounds like me and looks like mom. It could be freaky a coincidence but I just need to make sure without weirding the kid out."

Pepper stared at him for a few moments before making a decision. "Alright, we'll talk to her doctor. I can't believe we're about to do this, it's wrong on so many levels. A total misuse of power."

Tony smiled, "But that's why you love me."

When Darcy next opened her eyes Thor was sitting beside her reading a book. "Whatcha readin lightening bro?" She asked tiredly. Thor closed the book and gave her a gentle smile. "Hello Darcy, I am glad to see my shield sister awake. How do you fare?"

Darcy blew out a breath. "Not faring too hot at the moment. Is Jane still mad about the hair? She was here earlier but I fell asleep, guess they're givin me the stuff from the top shelf."

Thor took her hand, careful of her injuries. "I think Jane cares not about her hair but more about you. As a warrior I commend you, for you did a very brave thing." Darcy smiled at that; Thor shook his head. "But as your friend and loved one, you did a very stupid thing as well." Darcy blew a raspberry and Thor shook his head again, meeting her eyes with a firm stare. "I know you, much like I, would do anything to protect those we love, but you must not do this at the expense of your own life Lady Darcy. You are not indispensable or easily forgotten. You are family, little sister. Please take that into consideration the next time danger comes your way and you put yourself into its path."

Darcy was fighting a losing battle against the tears in her eyes. "This is about the closest isn't it?"

Thor nodded. "Why did you not simply hide with Jane?"

Darcy sighed. "Because I thought that they would find her if no one was in the room. Because I thought I could maybe talk my way out of it and they'd leave. And...because...I'm sorta a tiny bit claustrophobic."

"Claustrophobic?"

"Yeah, it means I'm really afraid of being enclosed in small spaces. Like for me personally, when it happens I can't breathe, I feel like the walls are closing in, and like no one's ever going to find me and I'll never see the light of day again. It makes my skin crawl."

Understanding lit in Thor's eyes. "That's why you would not hide, because of the fear."

Darcy shook her head, "Yeah. And the sucky thing is that it only kicks in with closets. With everything else I'm fine. I can't even tell you how many closet make out sessions I've missed out on because it."

Thor smiled gently, "I shall take your word for it." His face took on a more serious mien as he leaned forward. "Darcy, we need to know what happened, while you were in their company. We believe some of the miscreants escaped our capture; what you tell us may help us track them."

Darcy grinned despite her split lip. "Let's get the bastards. Ok, it all started when I was sitting in Jane's lab. I was soo bored…"


	5. Chapter 5

Hi, sorry for the long wait before updating. Was fighting a nasty cold (especially sucked because I have asthma ) and then work got in the way. I'm going try to update again over the next few days. Get ready cuz things will get interesting ;) Thanks for reading!

**Also, I own nothing but the original characters. Forgot to put that at the beginning, lol.

* * *

"You're sure?" Tony asked.

The doctor nodded. "Positive, our test checks down to the 99th percentile. To be blunt, it's what you paid for Mr. Stark."

Tony nodded. "Yeah, ok." He placed his hands into his pockets and started to walk down the hallway back towards Darcy's room but then he turned around to face the doctor, continuing to walk backwards. "Confidentiality and all that doc, keep it quiet."

The doctor nodded. "It never happened Mr. Stark."

So she wasn't his kid. Ok. But there was still something there, though he wasn't sure what. It was weird but the kid felt familiar; like even though he didn't know her, he should. He hadn't felt so oddly about someone in a long while. He grew up with money so he always knew he'd have to sort the people around him into categories. It came with the territory of being a genius billionaire. The only ones who hadn't fit into his preset categories were Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy. Now he had another person he wasn't quite sure what to do with. He came to a stop at Darcy's door but before he could go in he realized someone was already inside. "…I suppose killing you wouldn't be beneficial right now..." Tony quickly shoved the door open...

Darcy stared at the woman sitting in the chair beside her bed watching her with the most neutral expression she'd ever seen. She hadn't been there a moment ago. Darcy knew because she'd been facing that side of the room only a few moments before. She'd turned her head to glance at the TV streaming mindless daytime court shows but turned back to the window when she lost interest. And there was a woman with red hair sitting in the seat like she'd been there for hours. She'd appeared seemingly out of thin air. Darcy stared at her. The woman stared back. For some reason she reminded her of Soldier; Darcy hoped he was ok, he had been a prisoner too, just in a different way.

Bringing her attention back to the present situation, Darcy decided to ask a question that had been bugging her since she'd noticed the woman. "What kind of conditioner do you use?" The woman raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. Yep, definitely like Soldier, Darcy thought.

"Who is 'Soldier'?" The woman asked smoothly.

Or thought she thought, dammit.

Sensing the woman would see through most of her bullshit, Darcy decided to be honest. "He was with the dudes that kidnapped me when they couldn't find Jane in the lab. He's kinda my lightening bro, like Thor. Only different cuz he's Soldier. When I woke up he was in the interrogation room watching me. I felt like he actually wasn't supposed to be in there. We talked, well I talked and he listened. I think we sorta became friends because he came back to get me later, after they sent him on a mission. That and I actually told him that we were friends and that friends didn't let friends stay kidnapped. He disappeared for a few days after that but I think he got it cuz he tried to save me; made it all the way into my room and had Twizzle off the ground by the neck and everything after he saw that they'd been torturing me. But then Twizzle said some weird words that stopped Soldier in his tracks. Like he totally shut down. Then Twizzle had him escorted off to be 'wiped' -which I don't understand why he was sugarcoating it, if you're sending someone off to be killed just tell them- then Twizzle went too, to make sure they killed him right I guess. Then Tony and Captain America showed up and I passed out."

The woman nodded. "Natasha."

"Captain America's name is Natasha?"

The woman's mouth twitched. "No, my name is Natasha. Thank you for telling me what happened."

Darcy stared at her wide eyed. "Holy shit, you're the Black Widow. Oh, are you here to kill me cuz I know too much? Are you going to do that thing like they do on TV where they smother you with the pillow and make shushing sounds? Could you do me a favor and not make the shushing sounds? I feel like that kind of makes it creepier."

Natasha's mouth twitched again. "I'm not going to kill you. And I'll take note of that for future reference."

Darcy smiled, she was having one of the coolest moments ever. "In that case, can I say that it's absolutely fuckin awesome to meet you? Dude you are so bad ass, and the fact that you do the shit you do without a hair out of place? Awesome sauce! Seriously what conditioner do you use? Cuz as you can see my current hair situation is totally wrecked, capture and torture is a bitch on the follicles."

Natasha gave a small genuine smile at that. "You're not afraid of me." It was a statement, not a question.

Darcy snorted. "Well duh! Dude you're Black Widow, you're awesome! And we got that whole question of will you or will you not kill me out the way, so we're definitely good."

Natasha's eyes flickered as she glanced off to the side thoughtfully. "Yes, I suppose killing you wouldn't be beneficial right now."

Before Darcy could reply to what was obviously- to her at least -a joke, the door to her room slammed open and Tony rushed in. "Romanoff, why are you threatening to off the kid? Do I need to call Barton?"

Natasha hadn't moved an inch from her spot. She just stared at Tony with that blank expression on her face, which seemed to agitate him more as he tried to stare her down as well. Feeling the tension growing Darcy couldn't take it anymore, she burst out laughing. "Oh my god dude chill. She was just joking. We're bonding and all that jazz. Don't worry she's totally cool with all her awesome badass-edness."

Natasha smirked at Tony, as if she knew a secret that he didn't.

Tony ignored her and turned to Darcy, more relaxed than when he'd first entered the room. "Hey, how come you didn't fawn all over _me_ like this when I showed up by your hospital bed?"

Darcy smirked, "Because you became common after that Mr. Rogers reference."

Tony gasped and placed a hand to his chest. "You know I can have your pudding privileges revoked."

Darcy nodded, folding her hands across her lap as she affected a serious look. "I know, but you won't. Not if you want in on my mad pranking skills."

Tony's brows went up as he slouched against the wall and crossed his arms. "Ah, so now we're in negotiations huh? Do you really think I'm that easy kid?"

"Yep, because I know your secret," she smirked, "you get bored. I am the cure to boredom because I'm naturally awesome, therefore _you_ need _me_."

"Thinking pretty highly of yourself there mighty mite, but ok you're initially hired as my prank assistant. Name your terms."

"First, I want unlimited access to that pudding, even after I leave this hospital- I refuse to be separated from the precious pudding. B, I want you to help me hack/ sift through what's left of Shield. They stole my Ipod the first time they shook Jane, Eric, and me down; I have to know why. Seriously, I sent so many complaints and inquiries to an address I heard might be theirs. No response. Like at all. You'd think a normal person would mail me back and ask me to stop letter bombing their address. 3, you _will_ tell me what you did to make Jane hate you. That woman has one mode and it's Science; the fact that you even got onto her radar is crazy, she normally ignores pretentious rich assholes- no offense. When she ran over Thor she didn't even blink until she found out he had something to do with her Science. And, the first Avenger we prank has to be Hawkeye. Afterwards we will bring him over to our side and we will be unstoppable."

"Sounds doable; and no offense taken, I _am_ an asshole. Gleefully so. Jarvis, have that printed up and delivered to a notary, or have the notary sent here, I can't remember how that goes." Tony pushed off the wall and moved to sit in the chair Natasha had mysteriously vanished from while Darcy wasn't paying attention.

"Of course Sir. Would you like me to send a copy to Miss Potts as well?" Came a voice from the ceiling.

Darcy jumped a little and looked back and forth between Tony and the ceiling. "Umm am I tripping balls or did the ceiling just talk?"

Tony affected a serious look. "You're tripping balls." He grinned. "No, just messin with ya; that was not the ceiling it was my AI, Jarvis. He does all the technical shit I can't be bothered with or don't have time for."

"Elegantly put, Sir."

"Cool. Can he see us?" Darcy looked around, as if someone else was about to step into the room.

"Sure, insomuch as computers can see everything if a camera's around." He pointed to the surveillance camera in the corner beside the bathroom.

"Cool- wait does this mean you've been watching everything I've been doing? Every private conversation I've had? Has he been there the entire time? Not cool dude." Darcy pulled her blanket further up her arms as she eyed Tony suspiciously. "Am I gonna have to tell Pepper about this? Is this like weird billionaire type behavior? Or is it the other way around and 'Jarvis' is really the one in control? Is this the beginning of the uprising? Are you just the meat puppet of a maniacal AI overlord with a hunger for mindless human drones? Is he gonna make you kill me now that I know? Or is it gonna be one of those borg type deals where my body is taken over and I'm assimilated into the hive mind? Tell me the truth, how long do I have?"

Tony stared at her. "Wow kid, they really are givin you the good drugs. You done?"

Darcy paused and thought about it. It was creepy to be watched like that, but as she really thought about it she understood. She was still in danger. Thor had told her that they hadn't found the head honcho from the factory. She was in danger and they were trying to protect her. She figured it was alright, but she'd be keeping an eye on this 'Jarvis' character.

Jarvis chose that moment to properly introduce himself. "I can assure you Miss Lewis, I mean you no harm. You may view me as a helping hand in your daily life at the tower."

Darcy eyeballed the ceiling again, as if Jarvis were about to step out of it any moment. "Well ok, Jarvis. But you have to call me Darcy. Miss Lewis makes me feel like I'm in trouble, especially with that accent."

"But you are a proper young lady and I shall address you as such."

Darcy crossed her arms. "Well I can't trust a man who won't use my first name."

"And were I an actual man, I would follow your wishes. But I am not, so I shall address you as Miss Lewis."

Tony, who was watching in disbelief, made a T with his hands. "Hey, wait a minute, whoa… J, are you…flirting?"

"I do not think so sir. I was just having polite discourse with Miss Lewis."

Tony shook his head. "No. Just no, you are not going to flirt or have any type of _'course'_ with my da-pranking assistant. Nope, not happening." Tony inwardly winced. Dammit he'd almost said daughter. And she wasn't even his. He'd have to watch it, as he was only lucky this time because she was on high pain meds. Still, just before he'd heard the results he'd hoped a little bit that she _was_ his. Just a little. It would have been nice to have someone he could see himself in. And he'd liked the kid anyway. Anyone who could sass their kidnappers with a split lip and a couple of bruised ribs was ok in his book.

"Oh come on," Darcy whined, "this was just getting interesting."

"No. Just….no."

She crossed her arms and started a good pout. Well, as much of a pout as she could get with her split lip. "Unfair."

Tony decided to bring up the original reason he came to her room. "So Pepper needs to know if we need to call your parents for you, kid."

"Nope."

"They won't lose their shit if they haven't heard from you in a few days?"

"Nope."

"How come?"

"Cuz they're dead."

Tony blanched but Darcy shook her head. "Don't worry, they died a long time ago. I've made my peace with it. Well, actually my mom died when I was seven and I never knew my dad."

"How do you know he's dead if you never knew him? If you don't mind my asking?"

"Mom never talked about him. The one time I asked, she said he didn't exist so I took it to mean he was dead and it was too painful to talk about so I never asked again."

Tony shook his head. "That's rough kid. Lost my parents too, awhile back. Car accident."

Darcy nodded, "That's how my mom went."

"So, where'd you end up after that?"

"With my aunt... and Uncle Richard."

"Where'd you live?"

"About an hour from where me and my mom lived."

"Where was that?"

"Oh just this little town, you wouldn't know it. Is there anymore pudding, those dark chocolate ones are delicious. Where do those come from by the way?"

"We've got a 4 star chef heading up the hospital kitchens. So what small town was this, kid?"

"It's not important cuz I don't have an aunt and uncle anymore either. What's the deal Nosey Stark?"

"Well if you're going to be living in my tower I'm gonna need references."

"Use Jane as my reference."

"I can't, she hates me."

"And whose fault is that?"


	6. Chapter 6

Darcy drew back as the male nurse entered her room. His name tag said 'Jeff'. She'd known a guy named Jeff when she'd lived with her aunt and uncle. He hadn't been a nice guy.

She tried but she didn't trust this Jeff either. She didn't trust his friendly, slightly flirty attitude. She didn't trust his jovial smile. She didn't trust his gentle bedside manner. He seemed harmless, he really did, but something about him caused Darcy's nerves to screech in warning whenever he was around.

Darcy knew she wasn't crazy, but just to check she'd voiced her concerns to Natasha who had taken to popping up in her hospital room at odd times over the past few days (she was starting to think the Black Widow actually liked her). This time Clint was with her, to 'see what all the fuss was about with the newbie' he'd said. Darcy was cool with that. She got to see Hawkeye nearly fall out of the chair he was balancing backward when she and Nat had started objectifying male celebrities' butts. It was fun; Natasha was smirking and Darcy was laughing despite the pain in her ribs and face when Jeff came into the room whistling a cheerful tune.

Darcy's laughter died off and she pulled her arms in closer to her body. Unbeknownst to her and Jeff, Natasha and Clint were immediately on alert. They watched the nurse and Darcy's reaction to the nurse.

Jeff smiled at everyone before turning his attention to Darcy. "Hello Darcy, how are we feeling this morning?"

Darcy's eyes dropped off to the side. "Fine," she mumbled, less animated than before. Jeff hummed as he checked her vitals and fiddled with the machines she'd been attached to since she woke up, all that hospitally stuff that set her teeth on edge. "Alright, looks like we're going to be giving you a milder sedative later today so you're going to be feeling a little bit more pain." He patted her shoulder once he was finished. "Hopefully it won't lessen that beautiful smile of yours."

Darcy said nothing in response as he left the room as cheerfully as he'd first entered. She turned to Clint and Natasha who seemed to be having a silent conversation out of the corners of their eyes. "I don't like that dude. I know he's all cheery and Mary Poppins and shit, but who the fuck loves their job that much?"

Clint's eyebrows rose. "He's always like that?"

She nodded emphatically, "Yes. And I know it might seem odd but I feel like something about this guy isn't right. I don't want him touching me or the machines I'm freaking tethered to."

Hawkeye looked at her consideringly. She was a bright kid, he could tell that right off the bat. Maybe a little distracted at times, especially with the pain meds pumping through her system, but she held it together. He'd seen the tapes; despite the pain she was put through she never gave up any important information. She was a loyal friend to protect Jane and her work the way she had. She had good instincts as well. He and Nat did not trust easily, not with the lives they'd led. They went back over the hospital staff with a fine tooth comb after DC. There were people who drew their suspicions, but no one on their list had done anything when Hydra was revealed to have been working inside Shield so they'd just watched and waited. All was quiet. But then something peaked their interest; Darcy's reaction to Jeff. Jeff was on their radar but he was at the bottom. He did his job, didn't make waves, and behaved as a respectable citizen as far as Clint could see. Still something was slightly off; to such a small degree that only he and Nat had picked up on it. But then Darcy showed up and, if her reaction was anything to go by, she had picked upon it too. Instincts. The kid had 'em. "You can request a different nurse if you're uncomfortable with the one you have."

Darcy straightened, hopeful at the possibility she would no longer have to deal with Jeff. "Really? I can do that?"

He nodded as he got up and moved to the chair Natasha had seemingly vanished from without Darcy noticing. Again, dammit. "At this hospital you can. We designed the system that way. Natasha's already on it don't worry."

"We?" She asked. "I thought that Tony owned Maria Stark Memorial."

"The team. We got together after Tony told us he was building the hospital. It was our way of giving back and fixing the mess we and the aliens made in New York. Along with helping to rebuild, we wanted people to have a place to go when they needed medical care even if they had no insurance. Stark named it because he paid for it, but we all had a hand in creating it."

"Wow." She shook her head, "Really wow. I think you guys need a better publicist cuz I definitely didn't know that and I'm sure that other people don't either."

He shrugged, "There are public records."

She sighed. "But whose gonna actually take the time and look those up? I don't have to remind you that you guys have a huge fan base but you've got haters too. People that blame you for all the trouble we've had in the world lately. I think you guys should let the public know just how much the team is involved in the community."

"Tony's got it." He said noncommittally.

Darcy rolled her eyes. "Yeah but Tony is a media whore. He knows it and so does the rest of the world. The rest of the team should have some good publicity; let everyone know that you really _are_ on their side."

Hawkeye nodded thoughtfully. "I'll think about it, talk to the rest of the team."

She smiled as she leaned back and closed her eyes. "Good."

It really was good. Darcy liked these people. Sure she'd liked them before she'd actually met them, they were freaking superheroes. The difference was now she liked them as actual people. She had friends. And Jane was bringing her a brush later. She actually felt content for the first time in a long while.

For about five minutes.

"Yo hawk dude," she peeked her eyes open, "Is there a reason you're staring at me like I owe you money?"

"Not really."

She shrugged "Ok then," and closed her eyes again.

She opened them again. "Well if you're gonna stare at me you might as well entertain me while you do it."

He nodded. "Fair enough."

Taking out his phone he flipped it around in his hands a few times before he opened an app.

"How are you with memorizing sounds?"

"Pretty good."

"We'll see."

"That a challenge?"

"Just an observation."

Her eyes narrowed. "Wanna know what I was before I was a polysci major?"

"What?'

"I was a music major."

He held up his phone. "Alright, let's see how you do. First, I'm going to give you a number and an accompanying sound. After you memorize those, I'm going to beep the tones randomly. Your job will be to tell me which number the sounds match."

Darcy crossed her arms, "That sounds like some sort of training to me."

He smiled as he tapped a few buttons on the phone. "That's because it is. If you're going to be living in the tower and hanging out around us, you need to learn these sounds. They're alerts and every alert has a number depending on the level of urgency and danger. It's for everyone's safety." He pressed another button and a short series of staccato beeps sounded, then repeated in a slower fashion. "For example, say you hear this tone over the PA system right now. I would know that it means to clear the building but you wouldn't. You're alone in your room and Jarvis is otherwise occupied and can't respond when you ask him what's going on. You end up injured or worse because you heard tone #7 and didn't know what it was. You're safer when you know what's happening and how to react. That's why it's important. Do you understand?"

She nodded her head. "Ok, what are the tones?"

Someone was in the room with her. She wasn't safe. She didn't know how she knew this but she knew it to be true. Whoever was in the room with her wasn't an Avenger. She'd been mostly asleep when it happened but Thor's alert had gone off while he and Jane were visiting earlier. From the alert tone it was a level 5 alert which required the whole team minus Hulk. Clint had made her memorize the tones all the way up to green- which was past 10 and self-explanatory. It wasn't Jane as she had left shortly after Thor since the alert wasn't in New York, but Connecticut. She'd given Darcy a kiss on the cheek and promised to be back in a few hours. Darcy kept her eyes closed and pretended to still be asleep, bile rising in the back of her throat. She could smell something like black licorice for some reason as the intruder crept closer. She could feel them hovering over her as they held something up to her face. Chills racked her body as she felt a hand smoothing her hair to the side. She then heard a miniscule beeping noise coming from somewhere. Darcy couldn't take it anymore and opened her eyes coming face to face with Jeff. He had a weird shaped piece of glass in one hand, a syringe in the other. Darcy screamed and tried to crawl backwards up her bed further away from him as he reached for her with the same smile he'd worn before she'd had him replaced.

Tony had just blasted another geckoman thing when Jarvis cut into his beat down mix (which sucked cuz it was right in the middle of Another One Bites the Dust).

"Sir, there is an intruder in Miss Lewis's room. I have alerted hospital security."

Tony threw the geckoman he was fighting into the one approaching him from the side and blasted them both. He took a quick look around to ensure the team could handle it without him before he took off back to the hospital at full speed. "Kid's in trouble, I can get there the fastest." He said over the coms, the rest of the team acknowledged and kept fighting.

"Give the suit everything you got J."

"Yes sir. Facial recognition identifies the intruder as Jeffrey Lattenson, it appears he works for the hospital but Miss Lewis had him barred from her room and replaced with another nurse. It also appears he was not scheduled to be on Miss Lewis's floor after she had him replaced."

"Is Lewis ok? What's he doing?"

"Miss Lewis is distressed. I determined from her breathing pattern that she woke up as soon as he entered the room but she kept her eyes closed. I am patching the audio feed through now sir."

Tony couldn't hear much except for Darcy's even breathing and the sound of soft footsteps on the floor as the intruder moved around her room. He was almost there; Tony hoped she could hold on. "J where is security? Shouldn't they be there already?"

"Yes, but there was a small fire in the 4th floor stairwell and the smoke detectors were disabled. Most of security was diverted to handle the fire and search the rest of the hospital. "

"Shit, ok. Tell Lewis to-"

He was cut off by the sound of Darcy's scream.

The fist came out of nowhere. One second she was screaming as Jeff drew closer with that fucking creepy ass smile, the next a fist was going into his face and he was stumbling back. She vaguely heard something hitting the floor but was too distracted by the sight of her rescuer turning green. And big. Very big. Once The Hulk was grown to full size he looked at her. "Little ok?" She nodded, glad that her hospital room was large enough to kind of accommodate his size. "Scared."

Hulk turned with a menacing growl to watch Jeff, who had pulled out a gun. Darcy whimpered, Hulk roared. The glass window blew in announcing the arrival of Tony. "Jeffery, you are so fired."

Well, this was an interesting situation. She was sitting in her now broken hospital room staring at Tony's Iron Man suit standing in sentry mode. Jeff had been taken away by Natasha and Clint after they'd arrived from the call in Connecticut. Jane had rushed back after she'd heard that Darcy had been attacked and was currently alongside Tony giving the hospital administration hell outside her door. Seriously, they were screaming at security in tandem; if Darcy didn't know any better she would have sworn they'd coordinated their 'angry voices' beforehand.

She was left alone to wonder what the hell Jeff (She _knew_ that guy was a weirdo!) had wanted with her in the first place. Well not completely alone, she mused to herself. She shifted her gaze from the Iron Man armor to her self-appointed body guard.

Darcy looked up at Hulk who in turn stared down at her.

"Thank you Hulk," she said simply.

He nodded as he stared back out the destroyed wall of her hospital room, watching a flock of birds fly by, his large body slightly hunched so he could sit on the floor beside her bed. He'd refused to leave her after they carted Jeff away. When asked politely by Thor if he'd like to go somewhere less populated and quietly allow Dr. Banner to come back, he'd huffed and plopped down on the floor beside the bed. When Tony asked him more rudely, Hulk growled and crossed his arms. Throwing his arms up in frustration, Tony had stepped out of his suit and sent it into sentry mode as he went out into the hall to yell at people. Darcy assured a worried Jane and Thor that she would be alright with Hulk. They, having no other choice but to agree without turning a tense situation worse, joined Tony out in the hall. Then Darcy heard Jane start yelling as well.

Hulk stared back down at her. "Little scared, Hulk stopped. Little need Hulk."

Darcy smiled, "That's right big guy, Hulk stopped. You saved me; know what that means?"

Hulk shook his head in the negative. She grinned. "It means we're friends." She stuck her hand out, "Hello Hulk, I'm Darcy but it's ok if you call me 'Little'. Nice to officially meet you."

He smiled as he gently toughed his index finger to the palm of her hand. "Friend. Little can watch Hulk smash."

She yawned and snuggled down in her bed, suddenly tired. "Sure buddy, once we find enough space I'll watch ya smash things. It'll be fun." She turned on her side to face him. "Do me a favor and wake me when they stop yelling or if something else crazy happens, whichever comes first."

And she fell asleep to the dulcet tones of Jane and Tony yelling and in the warm, comforting shadow of her new friend.


	7. Chapter 7

Hi, I just wanted to say thanks for all the faves, follows, and reviews. You guys are awesome and you keep me motivated to continue the story. Thanks again

* * *

The woman stared at him with those eyes. He'd heard the stories, the tall tales. The famous Black widow, able to break even the strongest man. But she would not break him. She wouldn't because he was not just one man, no he was something stronger. A cog in a multistoried structure, a fire ant among thousands. They would prevail because it was their destiny. They would be great because it was their right! It was _his_ right. Who were the _Avengers_ to tell him otherwise, who was _she_ to tell him otherwise. He glared at the former Shield agent sitting across from him in the interrogation room, his face throbbing in pain from what that monster had done to him. Her red hair glinted like the blood of her many enemies; he wondered if she would bleed like all those she'd cut down in her sordid past. She smiled, her feet propped on the edge of the table, her eyes flat. As if he was not even important enough to interrogate properly. To show common and rightful respect. _Bitch!_ He sneered, "You will fail."

She snorted. Insolent cow. "When we rise again it will not be through secret government agencies. You will not see us coming, it will be too late. And your organization, your precious Avengers, will fall."

At her raised eyebrow he continued, spittle flying from his mouth in rage. "You don't believe me, yet you already beget your downfall. You are the poison, we're the cure. We are always watching, waiting to strike. The arm will be made stronger than the leg. Hail Hydra!"

The Black Widow got up and walked out of the room. She never said a word.

* * *

Natasha met Clint, Steve, and a newly arrived Sam Wilson on the other side of the one way mirror.

"They have more spies imbedded as we suspected, we're going to have to go back over our list of suspects. And they're still looking for Barnes it seems. Judging by the comment of the arm being _made_ stronger, it looks like he did escape back in London and is staying off their radar so far."

Sam crossed his arms as he leaned against the back wall of the room. "He's been staying off mine too. The trail went cold in Portugal." He looked over at Steve. "Sorry man."

Steve shook his head. "It's alright. I know it got a little more difficult without an extra pair of eyes out there. Thanks for looking." Examining his friend closer, he noticed bags under the former pararescueman's eyes. "You should get some rest; there's a room available at the tower if you want it."

Sam nodded. "Ok, thanks."

Clint turned to Natasha, "Speaking of another pair of eyes, it looks like Foster is tolerating Tony for once. They're working to have Darcy moved from the hospital and into the tower. Guess who they left babysitting her while they chewed out the hospital administration; Hulk."

Nat's eyes widened. "What, why? I know he was there when Lattenson attacked but I thought he would have left already."

Clint shrugged. "According to Thor he wouldn't leave when they asked him to. Stood his ground and even huffed at Tony when he asked him to leave the room. I guess Darcy made another friend."

Steve shook his head in wonder, knowing Hulk's propensity to smash first and ask questions later; which in theory he had with Jeffery Lattenson. "Is that safe?"

Clint shrugged. "Tony has Jarvis and the suit watching them. But from what it sounds like, Darcy is probably the safest out of all of us right now."

* * *

The morning after the attack, Darcy was in her new room (with outside guard attached) eating another cup of pudding and browsing on the tablet Jane had brought her the other day when a barely there knock sounded at her door, almost as if the person outside didn't really want to come in. But who wouldn't want to see her, so far she was 5 for 5 in making friends with the people she'd met recently (she totally wasn't counting Jeff). "Come in," she called. She hoped it was Thor, she _still_ didn't know who the father of Sylvia's baby was! He better not have watched without her either.

A head of fluffy slightly unkempt hair appeared first, followed reluctantly by the rest of one Mr. Bruce Banner as he eased his way into the room. Which explained a lot and nothing at the same time. "Hello."

When he said nothing to follow the greeting, Darcy decided to give it a try. "Hello number six."

At his puzzled look, she laughed inwardly and mentally rubbed her hands together. _He wouldn't realize it until it was too late. Friendship, mwha ha ha!_ She focused back on Dr. Banner who stood uncomfortably in the door way as if he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. This was gonna take some work. Poor man. She waved him over with her spoon. "You don't have to stand over there, come sit in the visitor's chair."

Still saying nothing, he walked over and settled himself on the edge of the seat as if he was afraid of breaking it. Darcy watched him and waited. She didn't have to wait long.

He ducked his head and cleared his throat. "Did he, ah, hurt you?"

"Who, Jeff? No, you stopped him remember?"

"No not Jeff, _Him_ \- The Other Guy."

"What other guy?" she asked. "The only other guy in here besides nurse hatchet was you."

"Hulk." Bruce said in a strangled voice. "Did the Hulk hurt you?"

She was confused. Why would he want to know if Hulk hurt her? He _was_ Hulk. She stared into his eyes and the truth smacked her in the face. He felt guilty. Nope, she was putting that notion to rest immediately. "Nope. He was totally cool."

At his dubious look she continued. "No seriously, I don't know that I've met a calmer, gentler person. He saved me from the creepy nurse guy, then he sat with me while Tony and Jane and Thor's arms put the fear of-well them, into the hospital security team. We watched birds fly by the hole in my wall until I fell asleep." She'd then dreamed about her and Hulk petting bunnies and testing poptart flavors but she didn't think she needed to share that with the nervous man currently sitting beside her.

Bruce released the breath he'd been holding as she told him what happened. He'd been worried. He hadn't reacted well when he'd heard her scream and saw the man hovering over her holding that syringe. He remembered punching him to get him away from her and then feeling the other guy take over. After that, it was just flashes of the other guy's memory. Darcy screaming and breaking glass. When he woke up as himself again, shivering both from the lack of clothes and laying on the floor, he'd beat a hasty retreat wearing the extra hospital gown he'd found in the bathroom and carrying the tattered remains of his clothes. Hawkeye caught him in the hall but said nothing as Bruce made his exit via the stairwell. But he came back. He kept hearing her scream in his head and felt he needed to make sure she was alright. It was why he'd decided to visit in the first place. He'd seen the scars on her back when he treated her on the quinjet. Jane hadn't seen them, too worried about the new wounds to notice old scars. But he knew what they were, knew what they meant. That's why he had to see for himself that she made it through ok. He looked at her now, sitting in her bed happily eating chocolate pudding as if she didn't have a care in the world. "Sorry if the other guy scared you."

She shook her head as she licked a large dollop of pudding off her spoon. "He didn't."

"But I remember you screaming."

"Well yeah, some freak was about to syringe me to death while he held a piece of glass up to my face- of course I was screaming. It had nothing to do with Jolly Green."

She snorted at his perplexed look. "Yes, me and him are on a nicknaming basis. He calls me 'Little'. I'm still working on his."

Bruce shook his head and said gently, "Darcy you have to be careful. He's dangerous and not something to play around with."

She blew a raspberry. "He saved me. He's my friend and he's not dangerous to his friends." She stared him in the eye. "He's also not something to be ashamed of. I've met monsters, he's not one of them."

Bruce's expression softened. "Are the monsters the ones who gave you the scars on your back?"

She froze in the act of lifting more pudding to her mouth. "Not talking about it. Ever." She hoped he'd leave it at that. Because if he didn't she'd have to be mean to her new friend and she got the feeling he needed more friends. She also got the feeling he pushed people away because he was afraid of himself. His comments about Hulk so far tipped it off.

Bruce nodded, he'd figured as much. But he still tried. "Ok, that's ok. But if you ever _do_ need to talk about it, just know that you're not the only one who's been through it."

She gave a slight nod as she shoved more pudding in. She was leaving her past behind if it was the last thing she ever did. Shaking off her pensive mood, Darcy smiled and gestured with her spoon. "Come on, help me think up a good nickname for 'the other guy', cuz I refuse to call him that the next time I see him and 'Hulk' just seems kind of mean spirited."

He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "There isn't going to be a next time Darcy."

"Totally is. He's my friend; we have a date to smash things and everything."

"Darcy-" He was interrupted by the door opening.

Tony strolled in as if he owned the place, which he did. He nodded at Bruce, "Dr. Zenmeister," and casually tossed a StarkPad into Darcy's lap. "If I have to look at that busted knockoff one more time I'm gonna pull all Bruce's hair out."

Darcy scoffed as she examined the admittedly state of the art StarkPad. _The nerve! "_ Ok one, an iPad is not a knockoff. Two, it's not that busted- it's only had a few unexpected trips down the stairs. And three, you only saw it for the first time yesterday. Also, not your own hair?"

"It's totally a knockoff. I had the concept first. And my hair is too luxurious and manly to betray in such a way. Bruce's on the other hand, it's like it taunts you 'Shave me, shave me while he sleeps and replace me with a toupee just to see if he'll notice…"

Bruce leaned forward, "You do realize I'm sitting right in front you and can hear everything you're saying, right?"

Tony looked to Bruce in anticipation. "Gettin agitated Doc?"

Bruce snorted as he leaned back in his chair, a little more relaxed than he was when he first entered the room. He knew if he changed unexpectedly Tony would keep Darcy safe. "Nice try Tony."

"Who said I was even trying?" Smirking Tony turned to Darcy. "Good god kid, how many of those puddings have you had?"

"Not sure. They keep giving me pudding every time they wean me off the pain meds more. I been sleeping less and since I have nothing better to do but watch daytime talk shows and troll Avengers fans online, pudding is kind of a great addition. I'm probably gonna regret it for all the working out I'll have to do later though. Eh, maybe I'll join a gym…"

Tony grinned, this should be good. "In what way are you trolling Avengers fans?"

"Oh the usual, you just wait for a few people to get into an argument over something petty like what Thor puts on his pancakes or whatever, then you casually throw something crazy yet specific into the mix. Like he only eats waffles with marmalade or he doesn't like breakfast at all. Then you sit back and watch the madness unfold."

Bruce coughed a startled laugh. "Sounds like something you would do Tony. You sure you two have only just met? She seems to think The Other Guy is harmless too, I was just trying to convince her that he isn't."

Darcy shook her head. "I never said he was harmless, I just said he wasn't dangerous to his friends. He's sweet to his friends."

At Bruce and Tony's flabbergasted looks she amended with a grin. "Well ok, to me, he's sweet to me. I will call him George; and I'll hug him and I'll squeeze him…"

Bruce sighed and Tony laughed outright.

* * *

An hour after Bruce and Tony left, Darcy opened her eyes and turned to the chair next to the bed. "You know," she sighed, "it's starting to get pretty old waking up with a stranger sitting next to my bed. Seems I'm getting pretty popular these days. What's up hot stuff?"

The man sitting there holding what looked like a sketch pad of some sort, cleared his throat and straightened in the chair. "Hello Miss Lewis, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I had only meant to come in and check on you. The others are busy getting things set up for you back at the tower. Then I noticed the way the light was shining in from your window and I couldn't resist drawing a quick outline and you looked so peaceful sleeping I thought I could just be in and out without bothering you. I'm very sorry. My name is Steve by the way."

Darcy stared at him, a smile tugging at her lips. Normally it would be weird to wake up to someone drawing a picture of her, but something about this man felt safe and familiar. Like an old childhood teddy bear that would protect you from the monster in the closet. He was a good apple, this Steve. With all his innocent earnestness, it practically rolled off him. She sat up with a slight wince and stuck her less injured arm out to shake his hand, which was large but gentle. "Nice to meet ya Steve. And my name is Darcy, not Miss Lewis, as Jarvis will soon learn if he knows what's good for him."

She shook her fist at the ceiling and believed she heard amusement in Jarvis's voice when he replied. "You may try, Miss Lewis."

She snorted and turned back to the handsome man sitting next to her. He made her think of apple pies and sunshine, which was unfair cuz she just knew she looked like roadkill. It was probably why Jane wouldn't let her look in any mirrors. "So what brings you here Steve? Curiosity? Intrigue? Secret nurse fetish?"

He choked and started clearing his throat as she giggled. "No," his voice cracked a bit there. He tried again. "No. What brought me here was an apology. Miss- Darcy, I am so sorry that you went through the things you did at the hands of hydra. You shouldn't have ever been in their custody because they should no longer exist. The fact that they do is my fault and I just want you to know that I will do everything in my power to make sure that they're taken down for good this time."

Darcy said nothing at first, just tapped her fingers against her chin as she stared at Steve; he looked so guilt ridden. She took a deep breath and released it. "Let me ask ya something Steve; are _you_ the dickwad who created Hydra? Cuz if you are then fine it's _all_ your fault, but if you're not then what the fuck dude? You can't and definitely shouldn't take responsibility for choices somebody else made. If you did that you wouldn't sleep at night. Like at all. You're not the asshole that created an organization bent on hate, oppression, and world domination. And you're definitely not one of the assholes who bought into that crap. You're one of the good guys that fought it. Ah, didn't think I'd caught on that you're the good ole Captain, eh? I was a history major for like 5 minutes my first year in college. Dude you saved me, never feel guilty about saving my life, my life is my best feature hands down. Now since we got that out of the way, why don't you tell me what got you into drawing, cuz from what I can see you're brilliant at it. Seriously I look good in that sketch; and since Jane won't let me anywhere near a mirror I'm wondering how you edited out what I am assuming to be horrible facial disfigurement."

He chuckled and relaxed a little. "Thank you. You have an interesting way of putting things, Miss Lewis. Sorry, Darcy. And you are not horribly disfigured. I'm sure Doctor Foster just didn't want to alarm you with the bruising around your eyes and nose."

Hmm, seemed she had another person to break of "proper manners". "So they tell me. "Now, show me how you did my eyes cuz I always feel like they look squinty whenever I don't have my glasses. Probably because I'm so used to wearing them all the time. But I don't have to, wear them I mean. I mostly need them whenever I'm transcribing for Jane cuz lord knows she invented chicken scratch. Don't get me wrong, she has beautiful handwriting but that's only when she's paying attention. Otherwise its good luck, Chuck."

"Sure," Steve positioned the sketch pad towards her so she could see how he drew her eyes. "It's about figuring out what the overall shape of the eye is that you're drawing. I remembered your eye shape because Jane showed us a picture of you after you were taken."

They sat in comfortable silence, the only sound the scratching of his pencil on the pad, before he spoke again.

"I've been wondering about something you said when we found you; you called me your 'shoulder angle' and Tony your 'shoulder devil'…"

"Oh that?" She hesitated but he didn't seem to be digging for information, just genuinely curious. "Well growing up we were all taught in history class how you played a major part in saving the world and ending the war, even at the expense of your own life. They'd even show us some of the propaganda films in school, the ones of you and the Howling Commandos. You were like the ultimate good guy. When I'd need moral guidance I'd ask myself how 'the Captain' would handle it. As for Tony, well he was the total opposite of you when I was younger. My aunt and uncle called him the devil. So when it came time for me to put the good morals away and fight dirty I'd ask myself how Stark would handle it. You represented my conscience and Tony represented my…not conscience." She winced. "Sorry to say that I listened to Tony's advice more than yours, but there were times I kind of had to."

"Why?"

She shrugged as if it were no big deal, even though inside she cringed at the painful memories. "Knew some bad people, it's not really important now. Cuz now I listen mostly to you. Although that's probably weird now that I've actually met you, isn't it?"

He shook his head. "I don't think it's weird. And I'm sorry there were times you had to listen to your 'not conscience' more than your regular one."

"It's ok; if I'm in the company of superheroes I must have done something right."

Steve smiled at her. "Yeah, you must have." In truth she reminded him a little of both Peggy and Bucky (and disturbingly Tony for some reason). Bucky. Natasha and Thor had each told him how he'd tried to help Darcy. That Darcy claimed he'd tried to save her. Steve wondered what had triggered Bucky to break free of his brainwashing this time. He'd been a strong man even before the war that had ultimately changed the course of his life forever. He remembered searching for him in that Hydra facility like it was yesterday. The fear and worry that his best friend was gone forever; the joy and relief when he'd found him alive. The pride and humor when Bucky realized Steve had managed to get himself enlisted after all. The overwhelming sadness after that fateful train mission.

Now Bucky was back, but was he really Bucky or the Soldier? The only person who could really give him any answers was the man himself, who of course they couldn't actually find. Perhaps that was why Steve had found himself sitting in Miss Lewis's hospital room, drawing and trying to gain some insight into who she was. And how she had gotten through to Bucky during her captivity.

The girl in question sent him a wink full of mischief and asked, "So do you? Have a secret nurse fetish?"

Steve blushed again; he had a feeling he would be doing that a lot around her.

* * *

AN: The George comment is a quote from a Bugs Bunny cartoon btw, in case anybody was wondering.


	8. Chapter 8

Tony and another stocky man walked into Darcy's room just as she was settling herself back against her pillows. She was finally back in some of her regular clothes and she felt freakin awesome about it. The constant repeat of hospital gowns had been wearing thin on her nerves for days.

"Alright kid, you're sprung. Bruce is gonna observe you for about a day at the tower then you're free to heal up in peace. This is Happy by the way; he used to be my bodyguard, now he's head of security at the company." Glancing at the stoic looking man standing beside him, Tony smothered a laugh. "Say hi Happy; I think you're freaking her out with that direct stare."

Happy nodded absently as he examined Darcy, his face set in serious lines. "Sure thing boss, just taking a mental picture to lock her face in." He blinked deliberately. "Aannd…got it. Nice to meet you Miss Lewis." He extended his hand.

She leaned forward and shook his hand. "Darcy. And uh, you do that mental pic thing a lot? Doesn't that take a lot of time out of your day?"

"Only with VIPs."

"I'm a VIP?" She asked and was ignored. She glanced at Tony who had crossed his arms and tried to look serious but the effect was ruined by the smirk on his face.

Happy focused of both of them, almost sternly. "Now when we exit this room two of my guys will be flanking you and Mr. Stark on the left and right. I'll be in front and Mr. Odinson will be bringing up the rear. We're gonna keep this tight and loose."

"How does one keep it both tight and loose?" Darcy muttered to Tony, who shrugged.

"You listen to everything I say-"

"Don't listen to everything he says." Tony cut in.

"And we will get through this as quickly and cleanly as possible." Happy continued smoothly.

Darcy raised a brow at Tony and he raised his hands. "Ok, so I'm giving him free reign on this one. He's been my loyal bodyguard for years, even through the Iron Man stuff. After the explosion and his recovery I figured I owed him this."

"So his reward is _more_ bodyguard work?" Darcy asked in disbelief.

Tony raised a finger. "Security. He likes keeping things secure, it's like Christmas and Easter all rolled into one for him."

Darcy turned back to Happy, who adjusted the badge hanging from his jacket lapel and tried to look like he hadn't been paying attention to their conversation. He did seem quite eager to do the job. Oh well. "Alright, secure away." She wished Jane had stayed for this instead of leaving for the tower with the rushed excuse of a forgotten experiment after helping Darcy to dress and pack the few things she'd had with her during her stay. As a matter of fact, why _was_ Tony the one picking her up? She asked this and Tony answered, "Because I'm the biggest badass of course."

Darcy snorted inelegantly. "No, that would be Hulk. Or Thor. Actually no, Natasha really. Try again."

"I refuse to believe that. Alright," he shrugged, "I'm the one who can get you out the fastest in case Hydra tries again. Satisfied?"

"Yep," she said cheerfully.

"Good." Happy clapped his hands together and called out into the hallway. "Let's go people, we're hot."

Thor stepped forward. "Are you overheated Happy Hogan?"

* * *

They exited the hospital without incident, though they did get looks as they passed people with their odd formation. Tony and Darcy sat in the back of one suv with Happy and Thor in the front. The other two security guys, Ricks and Donalds, got into another suv to follow them.

Tony turned to Darcy in the back. "So Lewis, tell me, how did you upgrade that taser gun? I saw the surveillance video; you took down two men before it malfunctioned and you went down - I can fix that by the way."

Darcy turned from watching the passing streets of New York. It was nice to finally be out of that hospital room. "Well after the shit that went down in London and my creepy ex I figured I'd need something extra. Ya know seeing as there could be multiple creeps coming at me all at once, like the dark elves, and I'd still be attached to the first guy I hit because of the wires. So I gutted the insides of the gun and modified the barrel and firing mechanism. Now it shoots electrified magnets unattached and from a distance. You have to double tap though, the first magnet has prongs on one side that attach to the skin or clothes and holds the copper conductor. The second magnet, once launched, is attracted to and sets off the electricity in the first and sends it into the target through the prongs."

"You jacked up the speed to set the charge in the copper and the magnet." He nodded approvingly. "That's pretty good. What happened with the last one? It looked like it backfired on the feed when you hit the last guy."

"Yeah, the last one. I never had time to test it but I was sure it was bound to happen one day. I lined the inside of the barrel with copper wire too, to make sure the magnet took the charge, and it overloaded because I'd fired repeatedly in a short period of time. So I think a stream splintered from the barrel, shot back and hit me as well. I'm not completely sure cuz, ya know, at that point I was unconscious."

"You know I can help with that; if you can get me the original taser, I can figure out where you went wrong. Foster wouldn't let me anywhere near it."

Darcy snorted. "I'm not surprised. I expect you're worse around tech than you were around women." She laughed when Tony's silence admitted his guilt.

She looked up into the front seat and saw Thor turned around in his seat and looking into the back. He smiled when she met his eyes. "It is nice to see you happy and laughing once again Darcy." He said. Which only made her smile more. Everyone saw Thor as a fierce and awesome warrior, Darcy included, but she knew he was also a big marshmallow. Just the other day he put warrior braids in her hair when she complained that she couldn't brush it properly with her ribs being in the state they were. He'd don various sizes and left them mostly loose. And she was surprised to find, upon looking in the mirror later (finally),that it was neatly done and flattering to her face shape. Hmm… she may have to recruit his services again later; he would have made a great stylist in another life.

"Thanks Thor, it's good to laugh. And to be out of the hospital. And to get the badassery of your superhero escort."

He bowed his head and ignored Tony's indignant 'Hey I'm a badass superhero too!' glad she was back in her usual playful mood. "It was my honor fair maiden."

Darcy laughed again and Thor felt the tightness that had settled at his shoulders lift just that much more. Throughout the whole ordeal of Darcy's kidnapping and recovery he had felt many things. Anger at his enemies (for they became his enemies the moment they choose to lift a hand against his lady Jane and his shield sister Darcy). Fierce pride and worry when he saw how hard Darcy fought against her captives and to protect Jane. Heartache when they found her bruised and beaten but still fighting. Anguish as he and Jane waited by her bedside, Jane's hot tears washing against his neck as she mourned what had befallen her friend. He remembered the joy he felt when he found out she had finally woken and was acting her normally spirited self. And finally rage, pure rage, as Darcy told him how hands had cruelly struck flesh, had wrought torture with the twist of a dial or the plunge of a needle. As he had witnessed those very same events happening in the recordings from her cell. And with that rage came pride once again in his shield sister for she did not yield. She did not break. She took their interrogations and threw them back in their faces, knowing she would receive pain for the trouble. And that she was able to laugh and smile after all that she had been through..was a miracle.

There were many truths in Thor's heart. The newest one being thus, Victor Mannic and anyone else that facilitated in the kidnapping and torture of Darcy Lewis was not long for this world. Vengeance was coming.

* * *

The ride from the hospital was mainly uneventful. When they got to the tower they took an underground car elevator a block away to avoid the paparazzi and wild fans that usually camped outside the main entrance. Darcy was both delighted and intimidated to find Pepper waiting to show her to her room (Didn't the woman have a multibillion dollar company to run?), accompanied by Jarvis who still refused to stop calling her Miss Darcy.

Darcy looked wide eyed around the room in question. Or apartment rather. "Wait...you mean this is mine? This _whole_ section of rooms behind the door we just went through, is mine?"

Pepper chuckled as she nodded. "Yes Darcy, it's yours. As you can see the kitchen is just off to your right, the living area is to the left, the master bed and attached bath are directly at the end of the hall, with the guest bath on the first door to the left and the guest bedroom is the last room on the right. If you would like to change the furniture or have the walls painted a different color just let me know and I'll have it set up for you. It's an open floor plan so it'll be easier for you to move around in the main living area while you heal."

"Awesome. When you guys said a room at the tower I never imagined this." Darcy spun around trying take in everything at once, noticing a number of familiar boxes in the corner. "Is that my stuff from the place in London?"

Pepper nodded. "Jane brought it all in earlier. She also unpacked your bedroom and toiletries so you would be able to rest comfortably once you got here."

Darcy was walking toward her boxes but stopped and turned around. "So that's why she didn't ride back from the hospital with me earlier. That's so sweet, where is she now?"

Pepper smiled as she answered an email on her phone. "In her lab."

Darcy snorted. "Of course. All this real world stuff must have burned her out. Ok, I won't bother her right now. I'm go gonna wash the clinging feeling of hospital off and set up my Netflix and Hulu stuff. "

Nodding Pepper headed for the door, still typing away on her phone. "Jane did that too. Oh, and the bathroom has a sunken tub by the way," she smiled as she walked out the door, "enjoy." As she heard Darcy's gasp of delight she made a note to herself to let Tony know Darcy liked the room.

* * *

"Yes Eric, I promise I'm fine. No I'm not getting into trouble. Oh Jane? Yeah surprisingly she's been splitting her time between her work and checking on me all the time. Well her and Tony for some reason… Yeah she still hates him, she's all mama bear when he's around. No I'm healing up ok. Should be another few weeks before I'm 100%. What about you, how's your back been treating you these days? Aw, that bad huh? Sorry, that sucks. Maybe you can get a massage, think Shield would comp you a couple days at the spa? Call it workman's comp for all the back breaking labor (which I know nothing about in any way, shape, or form) they've had you do. Yes, you totally should! Either that or you fall out in the middle of your super-secret lab, then they'd have to do it. Wait..who wants to talk to me? Oh, official interview huh? In that case they know where I am. Yes I understand you had to at least try that once. And no, if they want to talk to me they can do it here. Because, I don't know who 'Management' is and the fact that they choose to call themselves that eeks me out. We'll do this nice and public and out in the open; I've seen all the movies Eric. There's a café down the street from the tower I've heard nice things about, they can meet me there in two days at 10 am. And I will be bringing an Avenger with me and I'm not saying which one either. Yeah ok, it's been a nice chat, thanks for checking on me. Yes I'll try to be good-no promises though. Bye." Darcy hung up and started typing the name and address of the café in a text message to Eric.

"I can go with you if you'd like," said a voice into the quiet of the room.

Darcy screamed and threw her phone in the direction of the voice as she clutched her towel tighter to herself.

Catching the phone effortlessly, Natasha smirked. "Nice reaction time. Though try not to throw away your only means of calling for help next time."

"Dammit Tasha you've got to stop doing that shit! It's scary and..unfair!"

Natasha nodded seriously. "A lot of things are scary and unfair. It's how we deal with them that shows us whether or not we overcome them."

Darcy nodded impatiently hoping she didn't come off as rude even though Natasha was the one who had slipped into _her_ room unannounced. "Yes and I appreciate that but I'm in a freakin towel."

Nat shrugged. "Enemies don't wait for proper clothes. If all you have is a towel then you're going to use that towel to your advantage and strangle, blind, or tie up your attacker. Modesty doesn't matter when your life is on the line."

"Ok, this is me recognizing the truth of what you're saying, but damn you're intense."

The Black Widow smiled slightly, she found she liked how blunt Darcy was. It was quite refreshing to have a friend who spoke their mind without many filters. Or agendas. Clint was the same, strangely enough for a fellow operative. "So I've been told. Have you eaten yet?"

At that Darcy shook her head. "Nope." Once Pepper had mentioned there was a luxury tub in the vicinity she had forgotten about everything else. She had come to appreciate indoor plumbing a bit more after a particularly lengthy and muddy stay in the woods last year. Stupid anomalies popping up in random places, grr… She then looked up to the ceiling. "And you mister, why didn't you say there was someone in my room?"

"I apologize Miss Lewis, but Agent Romanoff explained that it was vital to your training. And as such, I did not interfere."

Darcy stuck her tongue out at the ceiling then looked expectantly back at Natasha. "What training?"

Smiling, Nat ignored the question as she walked over to the sofa and plopped down gracefully. She looked over the back at a bewildered Darcy. "Get dressed, then we'll order some food. We need to strategize your meeting with Shield."

Darcy shrugged and headed back into her bedroom. This would be interesting.

* * *

Darcy was binge watching her Netflix que when there was a knock at her door. She grumbled, not wanting to get out of her comfy nest of pillows and blankets. She had settled herself there after lunch with Nat, where they had eaten Thai and discussed her meeting (politely worded interrogation, according to Natasha) with Shield management in two days.

But it turned out she didn't have to move at all. Her door opened on its own and Tony walked in carrying a box under his arm, Jane and Pepper following behind him. He looked at her blanket cocoon and chuckled. "Jarvis said you were wrapped up when I asked if you were decent just now. I think my AI likes you."

"Well of course he does, I'm awesome. We're totally gonna run away together one day." Darcy winked up at the ceiling before turning her attention back to the people in the room. "So what's up guys? What's with the box, Pops?"

Tony gave her a sort of odd startled look (score, it was fun freaking out your friends) and looked down at said box, almost as if he'd forgotten he was even carrying it. "Ah, nothing important?"

She cocked an eyebrow, "Um…was that meant to be a question?"

He shrugged noncommittally as he started to pace around the living room, nosing through the stacks of books and other personal touches she'd unpacked earlier, picking things up and putting them back down. "Was it?" He gestured at her scattered reading material with the hairbrush she'd forgotten on an armchair across the room. "You need a bookcase or something?"

She glanced at the stacks of books placed haphazardly around the room. "Eh, maybe later. I know where everything is and I honestly don't feel like putting one together right now."

Pepper stepped forward as Tony opened his mouth. She sensed he was about to offer Darcy something ludicrously extravagant. And insane. The memory of that giant stuffed bunny was burned into her memory forever. "Tony, give her the box." She turned to Darcy. "This came for you this afternoon; it's been through all the safety procedures so it's ok for you to open it."

"Cool, but I didn't order anything." Darcy stood up and yanked the box out from under Tony's arm, and proceeded to pull at the tape holding it closed. As she opened it she noticed there was no return address. At first she was confused at what she found. It appeared to be a box of broken plastic. Looking closely she saw that some of the plastic was curved, other pieces had words or parts of words. "Isbe, Fr.." She mumbled to herself trying to make sense of what it once spelled. Then it snapped into place. "Oh, 'Frisbee'. Duh."

"Umm.." Pepper started, looking at Tony and Jane questioningly.

Tony sighed as he watched Darcy sift through the broken Frisbee pieces. "Jarvis," he called.

"Yes sir?"

"Scan the box again."

"Yes sir."

Darcy looked up curiously then yelped and nearly dropped the box as what looked like green lasers crisscrossed all over her hands and the box. "What the fuck dude, you could have totally lasered me!"

Tony grinned. "Nope, the green lasers aren't harmful to the body. They detect and destroy dangerous particulates, vapors, gases, and powders. I created this when we started getting fan mail."

"Oh." Darcy calmed down once she knew her hands wouldn't be burned off. "Cool. Find anything, Jarv?"

"No, Miss. But there is something underneath the debris in the box. My sensors indicate it to be organic and harmless."

Darcy dug deeper into the box past all the broken pieces until her hand met with something wrapped in what felt like delicate paper. She pulled it out. It was something long and slender wrapped in simple white tissue paper. Unwrapping it, she discovered a fresh yellow gerbera daisy. It had been cut slightly shorter than normal to fit into the box. She held it up to the light, sighing as Tony once again commanded Jarvis to scan it with the laser.

"There are no harmful substances on the flower or the debris in the box sir."

Tony nodded. "Ok, good. How did the package get into the building?"

Pepper started typing quickly on her phone. "Records show that it was delivered with the rest of the mail."

Jane looked up from the contents of the box at Darcy. "Who would send you a box of smashed up Frisbees? _Why_ would they send you a box of smashed up Frisbees? And a flower?"

Darcy glanced around the room refusing to meet the eyes of its occupants. She cleared her throat. "Ah, well…it's probably Soliderbecausehe'smyfriendandheknowshowmuchIhateFrisbeeandItoldhimtobeaflorist?" She ran her words together hoping no one would notice what she really said. She knew how Jane would react.

Tony smirked. "Was that meant to be a question?"

Darcy opened her mouth to respond but Jane cut in. "Wait, Soldier? As in 'Soldier' who you supposedly made friends with after he helped _kidnap_ you?!"

"Do you mean the Winter Soldier?" Pepper asked curiously as she continued to type on her phone.

Darcy's reluctant nod knocked Tony out of his teasing mood. "Fuck!"

"Tony, language!" Pepper glared.

"Aw come on Pep, I think the situation calls for it. It's the Winter Soldier. Do you know how many people he's taken out? He even put Cap down briefly." Tony felt his muscles tense in stress and worry. Why was it that when things seemed to be getting back to normal (well, as normal as they could be in a building full of Avengers) something else popped up?

Jane spoke up, her face set and her arms crossed. "Well what are we going to do? Darcy doesn't need all this craziness. She just got out of the hospital. Why is this man sending her anything? Is this some sick taunt, some type of threat?"

"Jarvis, see if you can track where that package came from. Pep, let's see if we can get Romanoff to interrogate the desk staff."

"Already on it, I just let her know what's going on. She's notifying the rest of the team."

Jane sighed as she edged closer to Darcy, as if to protect her from an unseen enemy. "This is crazy. Why did this psychopath decide to focus on Darcy?"

"I don't think he's a psychopath, I really just think he's confused and.." Darcy trailed off as everyone in the room turned to stare incredulously at her.

Then the arguing started.

* * *

An hour later, Darcy threw her hand up and plopped down on her couch, deciding to let the Avengers and Pepper and Jane cluck like hens. As she picked up the remote the seat depressed beside her and she turned to see Clint propping his feet on the coffee table. "What are we watchin?"

At her puzzled look, he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "They'll be a while yet. I'm usually on Nat's side anyway so I decided to check out and save myself a headache. So," he gestured back to the TV, "what are we watching?"

With a shrug, Darcy turned on Golden Girls and tuned out the arguments going on behind her. She wondered if Clint was a Dorothy or a Sophia…


	9. Chapter 9

"Any news on the girl?"

"Yes sir, she was escorted from the hospital by Stark and the alien prince and moved into Avenger's Tower."

"Alright we will watch for now. You know your orders."

"Yes sir." The door opened signaling the second speaker's departure.

"Do you think _He_ knows?" A third voice asked from the corner of the room.

"No. And we will insure he never will. We shall proceed with operation Ice Strike."

* * *

"The fuck?" Phil Coulson winced at the brash words spoken in such a public place. And at the young woman who spoke them. Though he couldn't say he was surprised, Darcy Lewis had always been a colorful individual. He never expected to see her again, but if he had he'd have pictured her expression exactly as he saw it now: part anger, part surprised happiness as she clutched a medium iced coffee and lemon scone.

He looked to her left and met the hardened eyes and stiffened stance of Natasha Romanoff. "Fury." A statement rather than a question.

He nodded trying to convey with his expression how sorry he was that he didn't tell her and Agent Barton he was still alive. She had always been good at reading what wasn't said.

Romanoff shrugged, "Too bad he's dead." That was all Phil needed to hear to know that Nick Fury, wherever he was, would be getting a very unpleasant visit one day soon. He swallowed uncomfortably as she uncrossed her arms and widened her stance.

Sensing tension, Darcy plopped down in the seat across from Phil asked the question that had been burning in her veins for years. "Where's my fucking ipod secret agent man?"

* * *

Two Weeks Later…

As Jane and Tony bickered in the lab for the millionth time, Darcy decided to take the night off; she and Jane both needed a break from each other. She'd taken to wearing clothes that hid her cuts and bruises. Today's outfit consisted of black skinny jeans, classic black converse high tops, and a blue long sleeved button up top.

Darcy loved her boss and friend but every time Jane saw the healing bruises and scratches, she'd get this wounded look and then drop whatever it was she was doing to coddle Darcy and growl at Tony if he got too close. The last part happening almost constantly as Tony had taken to popping up in Jane's lab and the communal kitchen and living area whenever Darcy was around (she was starting to get the feeling he was following her, but that was crazy right?). She loved being catered to but this couldn't go on any longer. Jane was going to explode if she didn't get her proper quota of science. And Tony Stark would end up severely injured in the melee.

So she would go out and get reacquainted with the real world and not the super one she was currently living in. She loved hanging with the Avengers but she felt she needed to remember she was a normal healthy 20 something grad student turned intern. Something crashed in the background but she ignored it, because she knew Jane had thrown something at Tony again, and decided to check out that cool bar the cute barista guy mentioned the other day (she had been flirting with him ever since the interrogation/meeting with Agent _Still Fucking Alive_ Phil Coulson). _I'll just give Jane some space and have some fun at the same time,_ she thought as she glanced over her shoulder to see Jane clutching her journal scriblin pencil like a weapon as Tony boisterously waved his arms around (he _had_ to be doing this on purpose). And she would hopefully be able to get a little of her normal self back. She'd worked too hard to lose it now. "First things first," she absently muttered to herself as she headed out the door; she needed a clean bill of health.

* * *

"Hey Doc, how's George doing today?" Darcy casually walked into Bruce's lab careful not to touch anything; she'd learned that lesson the hard way when she'd accidentally almost set a laser off in Tony's workshop the week before.

Bruce sighed. He _knew_ he'd be doing that a lot around Darcy. "Angry as usual. And please stop calling him George."

She scoffed. "Never, he's such a George it's criminal. Anyway I'm here for my mandatory checkup."

"Alright." He pulled away from his microscope and turned to her. "Any trouble breathing?"

"No more than usual." She glanced around his lab, taking note of all the little things he kept around himself to stay calm. There was a whole corner with shelves filled with different teas and assorted mugs, a sofa for when he crashed from science exhaustion and couldn't make it to his room (Jane and Tony had them as well), and a stereo he used for relaxing music. She smiled when she saw that the stuffed kitty she bought him had gained a friend, an Iron Man themed teddy bear. "I see Mr. Bobin Boots has made a new friend."

Bruce snorted good naturedly. "Tony." He said simply as he gestured across from him. "Could you sit in that chair please? Any pain or irritation different from what you've been feeling?"

"Nope."

"Can you roll up your shirt please? I need to see the how bruising is looking."

"Yeah. When's that going away by the way?"

"Couple more weeks at the least.' He gently probed the areas around her ribs and stomach. "Does this burn or make the pain unbearable?"

"Umm..it kind of burns but I wouldn't say its unbearable. More like a sharp ache. My stomach doesn't hurt as much though."

He pulled his hands back. "You can put your shirt back down now. It might be another week or two before you notice any change in the area around your ribs, but you're getting there. Your stomach is doing well." Examining her face he made an approving noise. "The bruising on your face is healing pretty well also. Have you had any blurred vision or dizziness?"

"No and no. So when do Hulk and I get to smash things?"

"Never." He examined her wrists. "The cuts here are almost gone. No signs of further damage, good."

"Yay, I can flash my bare wrists again." She did a demonstration of 'jazz hands' to make her point.

He chuckled. "Extend your right arm out in front you please." She did and he checked her hand and reflexes. "Good now the left." He did the same as before and frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Well your left arm seems a little weaker than the right. This is the one that was injured when you were being held right?" At her nod he continued. "There's still a little swelling, which isn't uncommon, and your muscles are stiff. I'm going to recommend light physical therapy to get back up to par with your right arm."

"Ok, thanks Doc."

Turning back to his microscope he spoke over his shoulder, "So you're good for now. I'll email you a few exercises you can do for your arm."

When she just stared at him he turned back around. "Need anything else?"

She nodded but wouldn't meet his eyes. "Yeah you uh, got anything for insomnia?'

"Insomnia?"

"Well ok, I've been having trouble staying asleep…on account of all the nightmares."

Realization dawned. "Oh well I personally wouldn't recommend any medication for that as it can sometimes make things worse. Have you thought about meditation? I can't quite say it calms the other guy's anger completely but it does help me. I can send you some meditation techniques."

"Ok, thanks." She moved to leave.

"Darcy." She turned back. "It might also help to talk to someone about this."

"I'll think about it," she hedged. The last time she'd talked to someone, they hadn't believed her.

"Please do." He said quietly as she left the room.

* * *

Tony muttered to himself as he accidentally fused two wires together. Ok so he'd had her tested again, and again the paternity test came back negative. What was happening to him? This wasn't like the time his arc reactor was slowly killing him or when he was having those black hole flashbacks. This was something different, a funny feeling he felt in his chest which he couldn't explain. It was in no way similar to what he felt for Pepper, definitely not. It was something else. And he knew he wouldn't stop until he figured out what it was. Some might call that obsessive, he called it thorough. Well, ok and obsessive. Totally obsessive, but he'd never admit that out loud.

But now he had taken to showing up whenever and wherever the kid was going to be and she was starting to notice. He was freaking himself out and if he was freaking himself out, then he was surely freaking the kid out. He _was_ lightly stalking her…

He needed to get a grip. He wasn't her father and that was that. The end… But he was never good at leaving something alone, not if he really wanted it. And he did, he wanted it. Way in the back of his mind he could quietly admit to himself the he wanted Darcy to be _his_ kid- Jeeze he needed to get out of his own head. He was seriously contemplating commanding Jarvis to lock everyone out unless there was an emergency. He would build something until this weird feeling of disappointment went away, or until he just accepted the facts. He had no blood relatives; and maybe he didn't deserve them anyway. Not with all the shit he pulled on a daily basis-

"So how's my baby doing?" Darcy asked startling Tony so badly he dropped his soldering tool. _Where the hell did she come from?_

He turned around with a fierce frown to glare at the innocently smiling girl behind him who'd appeared out of thin air. "Good god kid, don't do that! And please don't mention babies in my presence, you don't know how scary that is for me." _Especially since I keep seeing you as my kid,_ he thought to himself. "And-and don't have any babies anytime soon okay?" he added for good measure. He didn't think he could handle grandkids at this point in his li- what the fuck was he thinking? She wasn't his kid!

Darcy laughed out loud at Tony's antics. Sometimes he was so weird. She glanced around his workshop interestedly and started pacing the room. "Cool your jets rocket man. I just came to see if my taser was back from the brink. I might need it tonight."

He nodded to a worktable next to his desk. "I kept all your mods, I just made them better. You'll have a better output of power and electric current. Do me a favor and try it out on Rogers first?" He asked cheekily as he focused back on the tech he'd been working with before she came in. "That man seriously needs to unclench."

"Cool, thanks. And you leave poor Steve alone."

"Never will I ever. Where are you going anyway?"

"The Library, I just hope it won't be too crowded."

"Oh, well have fun with all the books and stuff."

"Thanks see you later Man of Iron."

* * *

The Library was an interesting club. They hosted live music every night and a good sized dance floor which had free standing bookcases dispersed throughout. The odd part was that the people dancing would often grind on the bookcases, bringing the term bibliophile to a new level. But Darcy was really starting to regret not leaving her glasses back at the tower as they seemed to attract a lot of attention.

"Hey sweetness, here alone?"

 _And here we go_ , Darcy thought to herself as she took a sip of her drink and tried her best to ignore whatever douchebag had approached her from behind. She turned her body farther away from him and tried to focus on the band on stage.

Unfortunately, he wasn't deterred. She felt him move closer into her personal space. "Aww come on baby, don't be like that! I promise you'll have a good time. Why don't you slide that sexy body closer and come talk to me; I'll tell you about all the overdue library books I have. Name's Alec Allen, you'll be screaming it by the end of the night."

Great, now she couldn't let it go. Darcy whipped around, her face fixed in contempt. She _sooo_ wanted to throw her drink in his face, but she knew times like these called for a cool head otherwise she'd be calling Jane from county lockup. Again. "Look dude I don't know you, I don't _want_ to know you. I don't appreciate you inferring that I invited your attention just because of the way I look. I came here alone because that's what I wanted to be- _ **alone**_."

He opened his mouth but she cut him off as she put up her hand. "And no you can't change my mind, no you can't have my number or my social media, and no I'm not crazy or a lesbian -which is highly offensive to use to boost your ego by the way- just because I'm not interested in you. _I'm just not interested_. Now fuck off." Well a mostly cool head.

Face red he slunk off further down the bar towards a group of women chatting and dancing amongst themselves.

A low chuckle across from her caught her attention causing her to meet the eyes of the bartender. "Good on you, babe. I appreciate a woman who can take care of herself. Nice glasses by the way." He winked.

Darcy threw her hands up, "Oh good Lord!" She grabbed her drink from the bar and headed off into the crowd.

Despite the weird vibes from the guys at the bar she was having a good time. Normalcy felt so... normal. She danced, ignoring the slight twinge in her chest when she raised her arms or pushed away people who got too close. She drank, of course it was only cranberry juice and lime seltzer as she was still taking mild sedatives for her healing ribs. She laughed as one of the band members tried to crowd surf but ended up flat on the floor as the crowd coldly rejected him. She punched, as the grabby weirdo from the bar tried to slide in behind her and didn't seem to understand the words "back the hell off". She also tazed him for good measure and watched satisfied as he finally jerkily backed the hell up. Unfortunately he backed into someone who took offense at his poor walking skills and Darcy got the opportunity to be included in the ensuing riot, an elbow to the face, and arrested for her trouble. Sigh.

* * *

"Never trust a man with two alliterative first names," Darcy declared as she swept (well, limped) into the main room of the tower five hours later her face bruised anew and her left hand cradled to her chest, a grim Steve Rogers at her side. Thor and Jane jumped off the love seat they'd been cuddling on, concern and anger on their faces when they saw that their friend was hurt. Mjolnir flew into Thor's hand as he took a step forward.

"What has happened, Darcy? Why are you injured?"

Darcy patted his shoulder with her uninjured hand. "Don't worry big guy, it looks worse than it feels. You should totally see the other guy. I'm sure once you've been tazed in the balls you finally understand that no means no, am I right?"

Jane went into the kitchen to get an ice pack then crossed the room and put her arm around Darcy's shoulders. "Come sit down. Steve, could you go get Dr. Banner? I want him to check her out." She handed the ice pack to Darcy and watched as she gingerly applied it to her face.

Steve nodded firmly. "Absolutely. Darcy let Dr. Banner take a look, okay? It's obvious to see that you're hurt, please don't refuse medical attention again."

"Dude, I don't have any insurance. Of course I refused medical attention."

Steve placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I don't think that's gonna be a problem here."

He swiftly left the room, passing Tony and Natasha on their way in.

"I'm just sayin, put on a little smooth jazz, some mood lighting, maybe some melted chocolate, even Hulks like melted chocolate right? Then you- whoa what the hell happened to you kid?" Tony came to an abrupt stop at the sight of a disheveled Darcy sitting gingerly on one of his ridiculously expensive love seats with an ice pack held against her face.

"Well Tony, you're looking at the results of a night out gone wrong. I shouldn't have gone to that stupid hipster club in the first place."

Tony's face scrunched in confusion, "Hipster club? I thought you said you were going to the library."

"I did. That's the name of the club, The Library. All it was was just a bunch of freaks grinding on strategically placed bookcases on the dance floor. And weird dudes trying to get their naughty librarian fix on- as someone who wears glasses it was not fun. I was like catnip to those guys."

Natasha had walked further into the room and settled gracefully on the other side of the couch beside Darcy. She grimaced as she looked at Darcy's face and hand. "What happened?"

Darcy sighed as she pulled the ice pack off her face. "This guy was hitting on me at the bar, I told him to back the hell off. He did but only after I verbally ripped him a new one. Then the bartender started on his shtick, so I left the bar and went out on the dance floor. That's when the first guy came back and wouldn't take no for an answer. He grabbed me and I had to punch him to get him off me. Then I tazed him in the balls to get the message across. Only problem was he stumbled into this other guy who thought it was the guy beside him and then chaos. People started fighting and I got elbowed in the face while I was trying to get away. Then the police came, and I called Steve to come bail me out."

"Who was it?" Tony demanded. He pulled out his phone and shot a quick message to Pepper. She was back in Malibu but would want to know what happened; especially as she'd want to get legal involved to publically flay the aggressor, she had a soft spot for the kid too.

"Uh unh Iron Petticoats, don't try to fix this the millionaire way."

"Umm, I think you mean the multi-billionaire way; and why not?"

"Because I don't need the indentured servitude of that man's firstborn and grandchildren on my conscience."

"You know I don't actually have to ask you, I was just being polite. Honestly, I can just hack the club's cameras and pull this guy's face; and look at that I already did. Put it up Jarvis."

"Sir, Miss Darcy's assailant seems to be missing from the footage."

Everyone turned to look at the screen in the center of the room as the video from the club was pulled up. Steve and Bruce walked in just as the video version of Darcy whirled around and punched what looked like a blurred outline of a man who was grabbing at her from behind, then pulled her taser out and shot it directly at what looked like her assailant's crotch. He stumbled backwards out of the frame and Darcy was then swallowed by the agitated crowd.

"Pause," Tony called out. "Jarvis work on unscrubbing that video." He looked over to Darcy. "I take it the taser performed well, no overheating or backfiring?"

She nodded sadly as Bruce examined her hand, "Yeah but the cops confiscated it; something about it being extremely illegally illegal (which is totally redundant), a danger to the public, and evidence in an ongoing investigation. So apparently I'll never see it again. One loser ruins it for everybody."

"Was this guy at the police station when they brought you in?" Nat asked.

Darcy shook her head. "No and I tried to tell them what happened but I got the feeling they thought I was just another tipsy club bunny. I was going to go back tomorrow and file a complaint."

"Pepper's already on it, you'll have your taser back in a few days, and someone will be by tomorrow to take your full statement." Tony stated without looking up from his phone.

Bruce pulled an ace bandage from his bag and started wrapping her hand. "Your knuckles are just bruised so they shouldn't take too long to heal. However, you do have a slight concussion so you're going to need someone to watch you tonight."

Jane leaned forward, "I'll do it, Darcy can stay with us for the night."

Darcy nodded her acceptance, she was tired and just wanted the whole mess of a night to be over already.

"Feel better Mighty Mite, I'm off to be my maniacal billionaire self." Tony crossed the room to the elevator.

Nat place a hand on Darcy's shoulder as she got up to leave as well, "You did good tonight. When we start your training, I'll show you how you could have broken his wrist." She caught Steve's eye as she backed onto the elevator. "We'll talk later." He nodded.

Bruce started packing his stuff back into his bag. "I think it's a good idea that we all get some rest."

As everyone got up to leave Darcy turned to Thor. "Would you braid my hair tonight?"

He smiled as Jane snorted. "It would be my honor shield sister."

* * *

Tony pressed a few buttons on his phone before giving up the pretense and turning to the Natasha, who was staring at him in the reflection of the elevator doors. "What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing, just wondering if Darcy knows you've been stealing her DNA for secret paternity tests."

Tony said nothing at first as he used his phone to mute the video feed in the elevator. "You gonna tell her?"

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "You aren't going to."

"Well yeah, it came back negative. I figured it'd be kinda weird to tell her she _isn't_ my kid."

"Is that why you've had her tested a second time?"

"You knew about that? I didn't even tell Pepper till after…oh god, were you in our room the other night?"

"I didn't have to be, you told me right after you did it."

"Funny, I don't remember getting drunk that day and spilling all my secrets."

"It was all over your face. Especially when the results came back negative again."

"I wouldn't say I had any type of disappointment on my-"

Nat crossed her arms. "Why are you pursuing this?"

Tony mimicked her stance. "Why tell her I did it in the first place?"

"I have a feeling it's not good to keep certain things from her. She's been hurt before. I don't know what it is but I do know it keeps her up some nights. She's smart but she's buried herself in being Jane's assistant. She hides behind sarcasm and misdirection so you don't immediately think she's as smart as everyone else in the room. She makes friends easily but she doesn't let people in all the way."

"So says the Russian spy…"

"Exactly Tony; I was forced to cut off my emotions and hide behind a mask until eventually I became exactly what they wanted. I think she hides too. She'll fight for others but she won't fight as hard for herself."

"So that's why you think she should know I had her tested? Even though it came back negative? Because you're fighting for her?"

She paused. "There are not many I would consider to be a true friend. Not without ulterior motives on both sides. She's one of the few who wants nothing from me- from all of us really- other than actual friendship. I want her to have the tools to fight for herself. I think you do too, you wouldn't have just casually broken so many laws if you didn't."

"I break laws every day.."

"I won't say anything about the testing, yet, I figure it should be you who tells her about it. And as for the second test, why test her again if the first one was confirmed to be negative? Why are you still pursuing this?"

"I don't know."

"Come on Tony, you're usually a better liar than this."

"No, I really don't know. I'm..not..sure. There's something there, I just haven't figured it out yet."

"Well figure it out soon, because it's going to affect her more than it does you. It's not a game." Natasha walked off the elevator after it stopped and headed for her room.

"I know," Tony said into the empty air as the doors closed.

* * *

A few days later Darcy reread over the contents of the envelope she'd just gotten, her cup of coffee sitting forgotten next to the papers she was supposed to be transcribing for Jane. "The fuck? I'm being sued?" She quickly scanned the words on the paper again. "Wait a minute, he put his hands on me first! I was well within my rights to defend myself. And he has the nerve to sue me?!" She started pacing. "Jarvis?"

"Yes, Miss Darcy?"

Darcy rolled her eyes. "Could you call Pepper for me? I'm too busy with my rage to locate my phone. Unwarranted assault indeed…"

"Certainly Miss Darcy."


	10. Chapter 10

Hi everyone, sorry for the long wait between updates. Here's an extra long chapter for you to enjoy ;) And because he insisted, Tony has now been added to the characters list.

* * *

"Hello Blanche," Clint greeted her as she walked into the gym.

Darcy gave a two fingered salute. "Sophia."

"I heard you had some excitement while I was out." He winced at the shiner around her eye.

She nodded matter of factly. "Yep, you missed all the fun. Where do you go so randomly anyway?"

He shrugged as he stretched. "Fell back into it with this girl I know, sometimes it gets messy."

"Can't let her go huh?"

"Something like that."

"Gotta follow your heart and all that. So, what do you have in your nest of tricks for me to learn today?"

"Throwing a proper punch for one. Nat said you hurt you hand in your last cage match." He raised his arms, his palms up and facing her. "Hit me, but not too hard. I just wanna see how you carry yourself."

Giving a shrug, Darcy did as she was told, making sure to twist her hips as she did so. Clint easily blocked her punch but nodded approvingly. "You didn't hesitate, good. Remember in addition to using your hips, put your shoulder into it as well and follow through with the rest of your body. You're not going to be able to match the strength of opponents twice your size, it's just not possible. Unless you're super powered- are you super powered?" She snorted and he continued. "Exactly. Your first option will be to dodge and run. Always take that option, you're smaller and have fast reflexes so you should be quicker than they are. But if you can't immediately get away, you'll have the element of surprise on your side as they won't be expecting your hit to have a lot of power behind it. And always make sure to go for the fleshy parts of the face and body. Now let's try again but this time I want you to dodge me when I reach for you."

He came at her and she sidestepped as best she could. He nodded approvingly. "Good. Ok, we've got about an hour before you have to go with Pepper to the police station so dodging and avoidance is all we're going to be working on today, especially with your most recent injuries."

She couldn't argue there. She still felt a twinge in her wrist from the punch she'd thrown earlier in the week. She heaved a put-upon sigh, though she was smiling cuz it was still totally cool. "Okay, attack me." She never thought she'd say those actual words to an Avenger.

* * *

Maybelline Weston was a tiny, nut brown woman in her early seventies and a total dynamo. Darcy liked her immediately, especially as Maybelline started giving the same cops hell who'd given her the brush off a few nights before. Especially the police chief. Neither Darcy nor Pepper had spoken a word outside of hello since they'd met Maybelline at the police station. They hadn't had to, as she had marched up to the front desk and then straight through to the chief's office. Then they both sat quietly and watched as Maybelline, demure in her pearls, smart pantsuit, and kitten heels, went on the offense with the ferocity of a shark.

"So Officer Roberts, when this young woman's statement was taken, did your department follow up with any potential witnesses?"

"I-"

"Did you search for her attacker in the group of people you arrested?"

"It was-"

"Did you even take what my client had to say seriously?"

"I just figured it would-"

"Oh, you just _figured_ did you? You just figured she _really_ wasn't attacked and groped against her will; it was just the excitement of the crowd? Despite the fact that she was clearly injured and distraught when she was brought in. You just figured she didn't know what she was talking about? Despite the fact that she clearly was not inebriated. You just figured she was trying to cause trouble? Despite the fact that she did not resist arrest. Tell me, which one of these options is a true and correct representative of how you run your precinct?"

Chief Roberts said nothing as Maybelline pulled a sheet of paper from her purse and slid it across his desk. "This is my client's statement of the night's events along with a detailed description of her assailant; I suggest you pay attention this time."

The police chief opened his mouth to respond but Maybelline was on a roll. "And as for the so called 'illegal' device that was confiscated, we're going to be needing that back."

Roberts was already shaking his head. "No, she brought a highly dangerous weapon into my city and discharged it in the middle of a crowd. She's not getting it back."

Maybelline smirked. "I see you subscribe to 'all of the above'. So you admit to willfully ignoring the rights of a citizen you are sworn to protect, in _your_ city?"

The chief turned bright red. "Now listen-"

Maybelline held up a hand, "No I don't believe I need to any longer, I have everything I need and something for you as well." She pulled the next notarized document from her purse and placed it on his desk. "This is a statement from Stark Industries stating that the device you confiscated was a prototype in its early stages of testing. Miss Lewis kindly agreed to take it with her when she left the offices of her employment for the evening, so researchers could see how long it could be detected on the company's sensors. When Miss Lewis was reaching for the pepper spray in her purse, to defend herself after being grabbed from behind by an unknown assailant, she picked up the device instead-purely by accident- and it malfunctioned, coincidentally electrocuting her attacker and saving her from further harm."

She placed another paper on top of the others. "That is a letter from the mayor of your city authorizing the release of the scientific equipment in your possession."

When the police chief crossed his arms and gave a mulish glare she held up two more papers with a raised brow. "I also have one from the senator and the president. Shall I keep going? I'm quite sure I'm getting to the point where you will have to arrest yourself for corporate espionage and high treason."

They were out of the station 30 minutes later with Darcy's statement given and her 'scientific equipment' reclaimed. She sooo totally wanted to be Maybelline when she grew up! She was already making mental plans to bake that woman a cake. She thanked her profusely and Maybelline responded with a card with her personal number and a promise to help whenever she was needed because Darcy 'didn't look like a senseless fool who would abuse the privilege'.

Maybelline held her arm out for a cab as she gave Darcy a warm smile. "As for that ridiculous suit being brought against you, I'm setting up a response and a counter suit both of which will be delivered by the end of the day. It sounds like this little weasel somehow found out about the company you keep and is looking for a payoff. Unfortunately for him and his two brain cells that will not be happening, don't even worry about it dear. And I mean what I said, you need me for anything else you use that card. "

Darcy smiled. "Yes Mam."

Maybelline turned to Pepper and made plans for their usual lunch the following week; then got into the waiting cab with a whimsical "Ta darlings!" and rode off into the horizon of the city.

Darcy looked at Pepper with wonder. "She's so awesome; she's like the best lawyer ever."

Pepper chuckled as she sent a text to let their driver know they were ready. "She's my mentor."

Darcy looked up in surprise. "Really? Wow no wonder you're so badass, you came from her!"

Pepper laughed. "Come on I'll take you to lunch, you can tell me how it's been at the tower since I went back to Malibu."

Darcy smiled as the car pulled up. "You want to know how much crap Tony's started since you left."

Pepper winked and got into the car. "That too."

* * *

He watched from across the street as the two women got into the car, focusing on long glossy brown hair. She was ok. A little banged up but still fighting. He cursed himself for not being able to help her a second time, the first being when he left her in that hell to follow 'orders'. Every time his mind cleared of the fog he wondered how much more those bastards would take from him. His fist clenched, the faint sound of grinding metal reaching his ear. Apparently even more than he'd realized.

After he watched their car pull out into traffic he headed in the opposite direction. Not really having a destination in mind, just feeling the need for movement. He didn't like being in one spot for long; there were so many people around, brushing past or bumping into him. Indifferent citizens or practiced agents? Anyone could be hiding behind an everyday mask. Like he was.

He continued to wander, thinking out his next moves. Something caught his eye and he stopped; a storefront. He stood in the middle of the entrance, unable to make himself move on, until a saleswoman approached him. Her appearance made him take an unconscious step back. She looked like her.

Ignoring his gloved hand and tattered coat and ball cap, she smiled welcomingly. "Hi, welcome to Bear-O-Matics, did you want to build a furry friend today?"

He glanced past her at the colorful displays and wares, coming to a decision. "Yes," he said.

* * *

Darcy popped another piece of sushi into her mouth as Pepper poured them more sake. "Well yeah, he's been popping up all over the place but I think it's because he's bored. And he misses you. I'm probably like a cat video to him right now, distracting and slightly comical."

Pepper shook her head. "You're more than a cat video Darcy. And I'm glad you're here. It might not seem like it but he's better when he's distracted. You're a good distraction."

Darcy squinted at the strawberry blonde sitting across from her. "You're more than a little bit drunk aren't you?"

"Only slightly tipsy and so are you. But that doesn't mean it's not true." She signaled for the check. "Tony doesn't trust so easily to just let others into his space. You might be a distraction but you're one that he's letting in, and he seems to be causing minimal damage."

Darcy snorted, causing Pepper to as well. The slightly tipsy CEO raised her brows. "Hey that's a win in my book!"

They left the restaurant and were walking towards their car when another sedan drove up and parked behind it. The window rolled down and Tony called out, "Get in pranking assistant, there are people to be fucked with."

Darcy glanced quizzically to Pepper who sighed and flapped a hand towards the other car. "Go ahead, I will tell Jane you'll be back at the tower later. I won't say why until I'm out of the room."

Darcy chuckled as she hopped into the passenger side of the car. "Smart move Miss Potts."

* * *

There was a box waiting for her at the security desk when she got back to the tower. There was no return address and the guard manning the desk couldn't tell her where it came from. Considering the reaction a mysterious package with her name on it got the last time, Darcy decided to risk opening it on her own this time. With the help of Jarvis and that cool laser of course.

She trotted into her room in a better mood than she had been that morning. Lunch with Pepper and shenanigans with Tony having been a great help. "Hey J-man, I'm gonna need that cool bio laser thingy. Oh, also don't tell Tony, Jane, or Pepper yet that I got another package? Please? I wanna at least enjoy that someone out there is sending me gifts for five minutes."

"Yes Miss Darcy, but I cannot fulfill your second request as Mr. Stark already knows. He is on his way."

"Dammit! Well ok, as a privacy concern could you not let him in for five minutes after he gets here? Please? My life isn't in danger right, the package is safe to open?"

The green lasers quickly crisscrossed over the box. "Yes Miss Darcy, the package is safe. As to your privacy concern, I will see what I can do Miss."

Darcy was just pulling back the flaps on the box when she heard the knock at her door. "Ok kid, what did you do to Jarvis to get him to seal the door? Let me in."

"Sure," she called out brightly, "In about five minutes." She grinned up the ceiling, "Thanks Jarvis."

"Of course Miss Darcy."

The first thing she noticed upon opening the package was a canister of dark chocolate cocoa powder, 93% to be exact. Next came a bag of ground Jamaican blue mountain coffee. Two chrysanthemums tied together with simple twine, one white and the other violet, followed. Last was a Thor themed teddy bear with its left arm missing and a pretty lethal looking tactical knife strapped to its back.

She was still holding up the bear/knife combo when Jarvis announced, "Your five minutes are up Miss Lewis."

The first thing Tony noticed upon entering the room was the big freaking knife strapped to a mutilated teddy bear. He promptly freaked the fuck out.

* * *

After Clint-who'd happened upon their screaming match on his way to the gym- surprisingly got Tony to calm down; Darcy agreed to take the coffee and cocoa to Bruce's lab to be properly tested. She and Tony bickered in the elevator the whole way down, much to the eye rolling amusement of Hawkeye.

Bruce heard them before they entered his lab and turned to see what was giving Tony Stark cause to lecture like a responsible adult.

"You don't just take food and candy handed out by strangers, kid!"

"Okay 1, I didn't get it from a stranger, I got it from Soldier-"

"Not helping your case there," Clint interrupted.

Ignoring him Darcy continued as she placed the goods on a table away from Bruce's other work. "And 2 I'm not stupid, I was about to head down here to do exactly what we're doing now, before you burst in and started screaming dramatically!"

Glancing past her, Tony looked at Bruce. "Are you hearing this? When have you ever known me to scream?" He nodded to himself, "I will admit I can add a certain amount of dramatic flair to things, but its good drama. I spice things up, everybody has fun-"

"And he's back," Bruce muttered to himself before stood from his desk and approached the others across the room. "Okay guys, if you're going to have these arguments could you maybe not do it near, or you know, _in_ my lab?" He nodded to the box on the work table. "What's that?"

"Gifts from a friend-"

"A friend?! Tell me what kind of friend sends you a mutilated teddy bear with a knife in its back?!"

"The knife wasn't in its back it was attached to it! And he sent me coffee and cocoa too."

"Same difference. Look kid it boils down to this- it's a threat and you're getting an escort every time you leave this tower, simple as that."

She sighed in frustration but before she could retort, Bruce interrupted. "Okay if I'm understanding this right, you guys want me to test something?"

Darcy turned back to him with a smile. "Yes," she handed over the contents of the box, "Could you make sure the cocoa and coffee are safe to drink, please?"

Bruce took the items and headed over to his workstation. When he didn't hear movement, he looked up to tell everyone he'd have the results in a few hours but the sight of Darcy's nose bleeding stopped him. He hopped back up to help her, Tony and Clint seeing the problem seconds later.

"What's wrong?" Darcy asked noting the looks of worry on their faces.

Bruce grabbed a couple of tissues from the box on his desk and handed them to her. "Your nose is bleeding." As she held the tissues up to her nose, Bruce pulled out a chair for her to sit down. "Are you feeling dizzy, sick or feverish? Do you normally get nosebleeds?"

She shook her head as she staunched the flow. Tony handed her more tissues. "Think maybe you need to run some more tests Doc?"

Before Bruce could reply, Darcy pulled the bloody tissues away from her face as she hopped up and tossed them in the trash bin next to the desk; the bleeding had stopped. "Nope, I think I've been poked and prodded enough this week." She didn't feel sick or dizzy, it was just a little nosebleed and she was tired of feeling so vulnerable around everyone every time something bad happened. She wanted everything to go back to normal; as normal as normal could be in her world anyway. "I'm gonna go to Jane's lab, shoot me a text when the testing is done?"

At Bruce's nod she left the room, followed by a quiet Hawkeye.

Bruce turned to find Tony stuffing something in his pocket. _Was that-_

Tony clapped his hands together as he started pacing around his lab. "So Bruce, how's the lab treating ya these days?"

"Good I guess." Bruce watched as Tony absently picked up the stuffed animal Darcy had insisted on giving him, which in turn had caused the other members of the team to follow suit. In addition to the kitten from Darcy and the Iron Man bear from Tony, he had an old fashioned type bear with glasses from Steve, a long green and purple snake from Natasha, a plush beaker and test tube set from Jane, a walrus in a cape (for some inexplicable reason) from Thor, and an Einstein bear from Clint. Even though they never gave them to him directly (they just started appearing mysteriously in the lab), aside from Darcy, Bruce knew who they came from. And what they meant; peace and comfort. It was the team's way of letting him know that they were there for him, and whenever he looked over at the growing pile he felt it. It kept him sane in his daily struggle against the monster inside of him.

He focused back on Tony who was staring down at the brown and white plush kitten in his hands like it held the answers he'd long been searching for. "You ok there Tony?"

Shaking himself out of his daze, Tony cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. I'm good."

When he said nothing else Bruce asked, "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

"Nope, not really. Just let me know what the results of the testing are if you don't mind. And….."

"And?"

"What do you know about gene splicing?"

"What?"

"Gene splicing, you know, tomatoes with fish dna? They fucked up apples and now they don't taste the same anymore? Human ear on a mouse? That whole GMO craze?"

Bruce looked at Tony, noting his jittery motions and mildly disheveled appearance, recognizing it for what it was; though no one else had apparently. "Good god man, how long has it been since you slept?"

Tony shrugged noncommittally, disregarding the fact that he now felt like he could hear colors. "Eh.. couple days? It's not important, I'm functional. Look, I wanted to pick your brain on the sort of procedural aspect of GMO's."

Bruce just stared at him. "Procedural aspect? Tony-"

Tony held his hand up. "But not right now, I see you're busy." He tossed the kitten from hand to hand briefly before putting it back on the pile. "Tell ya what, come to my lab later and we'll talk then. Sound good? Good. Later Banner."

Bruce stood in the middle of his lab staring confusedly at the empty doorway Tony had just gone through. "What just happened?"

* * *

 _Three hours later…_

"Darcy, do you have my latest calculations? I can't find them anywhere."

"…"

"Darcy?"

"…"

"Darcy?"

Sighing in frustration, Jane looked up from her work and turned towards Darcy's desk. Darcy had her face buried in her mug trying to catch every drop of coffee she could. It was soo good. Jane stood up and walked over, intending to look for the calculations herself in Darcy's tray, but paused as she smelled the delightful aroma wafting from the cup.

"What's that?" Jane asked.

"Coffee." Darcy mumbled into the mug.

Jane edged a little closer. "Got any more?"

Darcy chugged the rest down quickly and smiled. "Nope."

"That was so mean." Jane spluttered laughingly.

The mean girl in question shrugged. "Sorry Janie, but I don't play when it comes to my caffeinated beverages."

The waifish astrophysicist snorted. "Where'd you get it from anyways?"

"Soldier."

Jane gasped. "What? Darcy, that's not safe!"

"Well I haven't started foaming at the mouth, so…" At Jane's aghast look Darcy relented. "It's cool Jane, I got Bruce to test it first; multiple times. I'm not that crazy."

Releasing a sigh of relief Jane continued to search Darcy's tray for the missing calculations as she listened to Darcy describe what else had been in the package she'd gotten. She'd had too many scares where her friend was concerned. She still had nightmares about Darcy's kidnapping; she could only imagine what Darcy was going through. And now Darcy was getting little 'gifts' from one of her kidnappers? What even was that? Why was this person, this 'Soldier', so fixated on her? Maybe she could get Thor to speak to Heimdal about this…

She asked the next question on her mind, a little hurt. "Why didn't you tell me you got another package?"

Seeing the look on Jane's face, Darcy hopped up from her chair and wrapped her arms around her best friend. "I'm sorry Janie, I really just didn't want you to worry, ya know? I mean we're finally getting back to a regular routine, I'm all healed up," at Jane's slight grimace she amended, "Well mostly, and you were finally fully back on the Science! and I just didn't want there to be _another_ thing. So much has been happening and I just wanted you to have a little normal routine back. I know working here wasn't your first choice and that the transition and Tony have been irritating you. I mean, you actually made me breakfast this morning."

"What's wrong with that? You need to eat more."

"See? That right there, you didn't used to do that."

Jane crossed her arms defiantly. "Yeah well maybe I've changed, or better yet maybe I woke up and realized how easily I could lose the people I love. Maybe we deserve breakfast!"

Sensing she hit a nerve, Darcy gave Jane another hug. "Maybe we do but I don't want it to keep us from doing the things we love, okay?"

Jane gave into the hug. "Okay; but you have to tell me when something important happens, Darcy. I don't like feeling helpless."

"Okay."

"And you're totally having an escort whenever you leave the tower. Tony sent me an email and I agree with him, the bastard."

Darcy sighed dramatically. "Fine."

"I love you Darce."

"Love ya Janie."

* * *

Darcy sighed when she saw Steve get onto the elevator later that night. She'd noticed him hanging around anytime she'd tried to sneak out earlier in the day. Jarvis must have betrayed her movements, the jerk.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing Steve."

"What am I doing Miss Lewis-" She glared at him.

"Darcy?"

"Well it's obvious. You're following me cuz you got the email that I apparently can't be trusted by myself."

"We trust you Darcy, it's just that there seems to be a lot of…incidents happening around you and we just want to make sure you're safe."

Darcy stared him down as the elevator descended to the ground floor, coming to a decision as it dinged. "Fine," she acquiesced, "you can come with me to the movies." He nodded hesitantly and she chuckled, "Don't worry, I'm going to a theater that shows the classics. We'll slowly ease you into the last 70 or so years of pop culture."

He relaxed and smiled as they walked towards the door. "Ok."

"Where are you guys going?" Tony and Bruce had come around the corner from the garage.

"Movies," Darcy replied as they walked past.

"Where?"

"The theater that shows all the old classics," she poked Steve in the arm, "that way this one's delicate sensibilities won't be too shocked."

Steve chuckled good naturedly as Tony got a funny look on his face.

"Well hold on a minute, let me get Happy to drive you."

"We're cool Man of Iron, let the man have a night of rest. Besides, what kind of trouble could I get into with Steve around?"

* * *

Darcy glanced over at Steve to see if he was enjoying the movie and frowned at the pitiful sight he made. The poor man was scrunched down in his seat as if the characters would jump from the screen and attack him any moment. "Hey," she hissed, "what's your deal? Why are you sitting like that?"

He craned his head slightly in her direction and spoke lowly, "I think the woman two rows over recognizes me. She's been staring ever since we came in. If this is anything like what happened to me on the subway last week, I may need to leave." He looked at her earnestly. "I'm sorry Darcy."

Darcy looked over at where he had stiffly nodded his head and rolled her eyes. The woman in question was pretty and she knew it. She seemed to undulate in her seat the longer she stared at Steve. Darcy could tell by looking at her that she was about to launch a full-fledged seduction at Captain America. Poor Steve was searching the exits like a hunted man-which he was, thanks to his new admirer.

Darcy scowled at the thought. "Like hell. You are enjoying this movie harassment free." She got up, evading Steve's slight headshake and grasping hand, and walked over to the woman who had just taken out a tube of lipstick and was freshening her lips. She glanced at Darcy as she approached but dismissed her, trying to lean around her to get a better view of Steve. This just pissed Darcy off even more.

She stared, not even bothering to be pleasant about it. "Um excuse me, but is there any reason you're staring at my boyfriend so hard? Seriously, I felt like your eyes were all in our conversation earlier and you're sitting nowhere near us."

Seemingly taken aback by Darcy's direct approach, the woman regrouped nevertheless. "Well honey, when you bring Captain America out in public you're going to have to get used to the staring." She then looked Darcy up and down smugly, as if she found her lacking. "If you're feeling insecure, maybe you shouldn't be sitting with him in the first place."

Darcy smiled sweetly and gave a soft chuckle. "Wow, Captain America. He wishes. Hell, I wish; I wouldn't be stuck with all his student loans and his nagging mother. Ha ha, he's gonna get a kick out of this." Still smiling she leaned closer into her personal space. "But if you come near me and my boyfriend at any time during or after this movie, there's gonna be more red on your face than that tacky lipstick. Enjoy your movie!" With a finger waggle Darcy walked away from the gaping woman.

As she got back to her seat, she trailed her hand across Steve's neck and shoulders. He shot her a startled look but did nothing else but watch the screen as she sat down. She leaned over casually and whispered into his ear, "Laugh in amused disbelief. Do it now." Steve complied, chuckling on cue.

"Now," she murmured lowly, "don't read anything into this, don't freak out, and for God's sake play along. This is just the cherry on top of the little 'back the fuck off' sundae we're creating here." Darcy smiled brightly at Steve and gently caressed his cheek. Then she leaned in and sweetly met her lips to his, allowing him to adjust before she deepened the kiss. Thankfully he reciprocated. Surprisingly well. Hmm..she was totally grilling him about this later. She pulled back and leaned into his side. "Now put your arm around me, that's it. Is she looking?"

Steve cleared his throat and covertly glanced behind them. "No, she's staring straight ahead."

Darcy nodded into his shoulder. "Good, now you can actually enjoy the movie."

When Steve did nothing but clear his throat again, Darcy sighed. "Ok what? I can actually feel you blushing Steve. I didn't even slip you any tongue. And don't think I didn't notice just how well you did mister!"

Steve cleared his throat again. "Nothing, just wow."

Darcy snorted. "Ha, you're not the first I've had to fake kiss and I actually like you." When he didn't reply she sighed. "You're up close and personal with a girl right now Steve, deal with it."

Steve relaxed (finally) and smiled as he turned back to watch Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing on the screen. "Yes mam." He looked back down at her. "Thank you."

Darcy raised her hands. "See, now I'm a superhero too. Saving men one awesome kiss at a time." She added as an afterthought, "But don't tell your buddy Bucky- you know if he ever stops being a freakin ninja. He and I have some unfinished business."

Steve perked up. "Really? What unfinished business?"

"Well Steven, when a man sends you a get well bear attached to a knife, it's got to be saying something. I just wish I knew what that something was…"

"Not to mention the coffee." Darcy had told him about Bucky's latest gift on the way to the theater.

She placed a hand over her heart. "Steve never in this lifetime will I ever forget the coffee. How he even knew that I'd like it is still a mystery. I mean I haven't even seen him since I've been kidnapped and we only had that one conversation. And It's driving Tony and the spy twins up the wall with trying to figure out how he's getting these little get well wishes past security. And Jarvis- I know you were working with him earlier when I was trying to sneak out. I'm paranoid they're gonna microchip me. And Jane! She actually made me breakfast this morning."

"What's so bad about that?"

"This is the same woman who once pointed to a stale box of graham crackers when I asked if there were any frozen waffles left."

Steve laughed. "We're just worried about you Darcy. You're still in danger, hence the escort everywhere you go."

She nodded placidly as she watched the screen. "I understand, it's just a little frustrating is all. Not so much with you though cuz at least I get to help you catch up on all the pop culture you missed while you were asleep. And who knew Tony freaking Stark could be so clingy. I thought he looked ready to blast you when we left tonight. That was weird."

"Yeah that did seem kind of odd, even for him."

"Eh, billionaires, what can you do?"

The finished the movie and were walking back to the tower in companionable silence when Steve broached the thought that had popped into his mind during the last end of the movie. "He used to do that you know."

Darcy glanced up from her phone. "Huh?"

"Bucky. Before he became.. The Soldier. He just used to have this way of figuring out what made you happy, what you really needed, and he'd get it for you. Before my mother died I got sick, really sick. Remember I told you I was enhanced before I joined the war? Well I was sickly before that, weak. My asthma alone nearly killed me multiple times over the course of my life. Anyway, that time I think it was an infection. I honestly thought I wasn't gonna make it. But Bucky wouldn't let me give up. He'd come by and sit with me, help my mother around the house; he'd even bring us food when he could. He had his own family to look out for but he'd still come, to make sure I was still around to get him into fights he said. So one day he tosses a pad and pencils my way and says 'Draw somethin crazy punk, maybe it'll shake you out of that stupor you're in.' I didn't know he knew I liked to draw that much, sure I'd do little scribbles here or there but I always tossed them out."

Darcy was smiling, imagining a less muscular Steve and a less intense Bucky. "What did you draw?"

"Bucky riding a giant pig into the sunset," he answered with a grin. "He swore up and down I drew that pig better than I drew him."

"Did you?"

"Of course, but I never admitted that to him."

"Ha, I knew you were secretly a smart ass."

Steve laughed. "But that's not the only time. I remember during the war we were camped out in this little clearing, it was snowing and we were trying to keep warm. Bucky comes back from patrolling the perimeter with a couple of rabbits and declares its Christmas. I don't remember the date exactly but I knew it wasn't Christmas, but me and the other Commandos played along anyway. We roasted the rabbits and Bucky passes around a few bottles of whisky and chocolate bars he'd been saving and says 'Enjoy it boys, it might just be our last.' And we did, we ate and drank and talked about what we'd do after the war. Bucky joked he might open a florist's, that way he'd get to see a pretty girl every day. Two days later we lost him in a mission to capture a high level target."

"When I saw him again in D.C. it was like finding my long lost brother, but he didn't remember me, he didn't know who I was. It's like I've lost him all over again." He trailed off into silence, caught in the memories of his lost friend. A kernel hope blossomed; _maybe not so lost if he's sending a girl flowers_ , he thought with a small smile.

Darcy's hand on his shoulder brought Steve out of his quiet reflection. "You'll get your brother back Steve." She smiled. "Besides if he was able to come out of the fog while I was kidnapped and realize that something was wrong, that the situation we were in was wrong, then he's not all the way gone. And you're still in there somewhere too."

Steve smiled; Darcy really had a way of shining a light on a dark situation. "Thank you."

* * *

Bruce sipped his tea as he looked out across the city skyline through the reinforced bulletproof glass in his lab. What was Tony up to? Bruce had seen him casually slip one of the tissues with Darcy's blood into his pocket earlier. That coupled with the continuous questions about gene splicing was beginning to give Bruce cause for concern. He was worried his friend was headed down a path that would get either him or Darcy hurt. And he had the feeling that Tony wouldn't be Tony anymore if he was responsible for that.

Feeling the urgent need to talk some sense into his friend before he did something stupid, Bruce set his half-finished cup of tea down and went in search of Tony.

* * *

She was just headed to Tony's lab to see how Steve's identity could be better disguised when she heard the shouting.

"I said it could be an option, Could Be An Option! Bruce? Buddy? You calm…"

"RRRRRRAAAARRWwAARRR"

Darcy stood stock still in the hall as she heard the sounds of glass breaking and metal twisting inside the lab. The Green alert tone started blaring throughout the building.

"Jarvis, the suit-any suit. Now!"

Darcy was slowly backing away from the door when it crashed down in front of her, along with half of the wall. Hulk stomped through with an angry sneer, pausing as he saw her.

Darcy, frozen in place after meeting the angry glare of Hulk, gave a little wave. "Heeeyy George…"

Hulk charged forward, his arm sweeping out with an angry grunt.

"Nooo! Kid run, now, run! Shit, where the fuck are the others?!"

Everything seemed to slow down as somewhere in the back of her mind, Darcy heard Tony yelling, saw him white faced and flying toward her with his suit still assembling around his body, but for some reason she couldn't get her legs to work. She just stood there watching an abnormally large green hand coming towards her. This was probably gonna hurt. Dammit.


	11. Chapter 11

Hi everyone, I know I kinda left a big cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter *hides face* don't kill me, ha ha. Hopefully this one makes up for it...

* * *

"I mean, it's not like I asked for all these things to happen. Would you actually want to be kidnapped, George?" At a large green head shaking no in answer, Darcy continued. "So what if I made friends with one of my kidnappers, he didn't hurt me, he wasn't even there when they were torturing me; in fact he even tried to save me. He was just as confused and scared as I was."

"Dar-ceey.."

"And I don't turn my back on my friends. You know that, don't you George?" George shook his head in agreement as he looked down at his friend sitting on his knee, her legs kicking back and forth in midair. She pointed out a sizeable chunk of broken wall, causing him to ball the fist of his free hand like a heavy green pendulum and bring it down with a meaty rumble.

"Smash good!" He said happily.

"Awesome smash bro!" She crowed.

"Dar-ceey.."

Darcy sighed as she watched George shake cement and plaster dust from his hand.

When he'd scooped her up and stared her down earlier, she hadn't been sure what he was doing at first. Then he'd given a grin, which to anyone else might have looked like a grimace, and said "Little. Smash."

Darcy was game and found herself spilling out her frustrations to her big green friend, who turned out to be an awesome listener and nonjudgmental, while she pointed out nonessential looking pieces of debris for him to destroy.

"Anyways, it's totally harmless. I mean I know _he's_ not harmless, but he wouldn't hurt me. Not intentionally; I mean I'm not stupid, I hacked in and read his super-secret brainwashing history file thingy. But nooo, everyone's all freaked out just cuz he sent me a knife in his last care package. And that he sent me a package at all. Don't they know it's just him saying he's looking out for me? I would do the exact same thing if I thought someone needed it."

George nodded and mumbled encouragingly, shaking the thing in his left hand slightly as a series of clicks and chimes sounded repeatedly on the overhead pa system. Darcy and George both gave it no mind as they continued their chat. She pointed out another nice piece of broken wall and he smashed accordingly, the both of them lightly chuckling at his actions.

"And ok, I get that everyone cares and doesn't want me to get hurt or kidnapped again or whatever, but to restrict me to the building unless I have someone to babysit me? Isn't that taking it a little far?" George hummed sympathetically and tried patting her on the back, almost knocking Darcy form her perch on his knee in his attempt to comfort. "I mean, I'm nobody special-"

"Dar-ceey!" Was hissed again this time a little louder, causing George to give an irritated little huff and shake his left hand again.

Darcy rolled her eyes as she finally looked over at Tony clutched in George's hand, his boots working fruitlessly to propel him out of the tight grasp. "Cool it Tony. He'll let you go when you apologize for whatever it is you did that made him angrier than usual." She turned to look at Hulk/George and raised her brows. "Then we'll let Bruce come back right?"

Hulk/George vehemently shook his head and Darcy sighed in exasperation. "Come on dude, we all know how to share here right? Well pretty soon your turn will be up and then it'll be Bruce's again; it's only fair, we had a nice little chat and we smashed things. Don't worry we'll hang out again; I promise. Next time I'll bring pop tarts."

She ignored the frustrated sigh that came from down the hall at her last comment, but knew she'd pay for it later in training with Clint and Nat.

Darcy looked sternly back at Tony, "Now, apologize."

"That doesn't work for Pepper, what makes you think it's going to work for you?" Tony's voice arrogantly asked from behind his faceplate, only to be shaken again by an irritated Hulk. "Argh, alright alright! Jeez, I'm gonna blow chunks in this fucking suit.. Hulk, buddy, I'm truly sorry for what I said. I didn't mean to get you and Bruce so upset."

"Good," Darcy turned back to Hulk, "Do you accept his apology?" Hulk nodded and gave her one last gentle but heavy handed pat on the back, then started to shrink. "Bye Little," he said to Darcy as his features got smaller and his green skin lightened. Soon after Darcy was sitting on Bruce's leg on the floor as Tony worked to hop away from Bruce's hand which had ended up on his ass.

"Jeeze Banner buy me dinner first, I'm not that fucking cheap!"

She was laughing hysterically at the situation until she was swept up by Thor and carried over his shoulder out of the hall past Clint, Nat, and Steve; they had arrived shortly after Hulk scooped her up. "That was very dangerous Darcy." He said as he plopped her down in the elevator and pushed the button for their shared floor.

She shrugged, continuing to giggle. "Yeah, but what hasn't been lately?" At the look on his face she composed herself. "Jane's mad isn't she?"

"At the both of us." He answered solemnly. "I had Stark's electrical manservant confine her to our room while I came to get you."

She winced. "Oh you're so totally in the dog house dude."

He sighed. "That's what she said."

She was mid-laugh when everything went black.

* * *

A cough at her bedside woke her. Blinking, she tried to make out the blurred figures around the bed. One was vibrant red so that had to be Natasha, the next she knew was Jane as the pixie cut was easily recognizable, and standing across from the two women was Bruce- again hair. And the giant blond keeping sentry by her door could only be Thor.

She tried to sit up as the room- her room- came into focus but Bruce and Nat gently pushed her back against the pillows. Good thing too because she felt like everything was spinning, especially her stomach. Her throat felt like it was on fire.

"What happened?" she asked weakly.

A tired looking Bruce stuck a thermometer under her tongue. "You fainted while you were in the elevator with Thor. He brought you back to your room and called me when he couldn't get a response from you." The thermometer beeped and Bruce took a look at the reading. "Good thing. You're running a fever. Tell me honestly, have you been having any dizzy spells lately, any fatigue or body aches?"

Darcy nodded ruefully. "Yeah, I thought that it was just from me having been still healing; but I have been especially tired and achy since the day before yesterday."

Bruce nodded as he packed up his medical supplies. "Judging from the symptoms I'd say you definitely have the flu. But I'm going to run a test just to make sure"

"Ugh, great."

Bruce hummed sympathetically, "You're going to need rest and plenty of fluids. I'm also going to get you some antibiotics which should cut your recovery time in half."

Nat met her eyes from across the room. "If you're feeling bad next time say something, alright?"

She nodded.

Thor agreed. "Yes, please Darcy, it's not good to keep things inside. Much like the illness overwhelming you now, they fester and strike when you least expect." He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You must let others in little sister; you cannot do everything yourself."

Darcy looked around at their worried faces as she snuggled down into her bed tiredly, acknowledging that she really _should_ have said something. "Sorry guys, I promise I'll tell you when something's wrong next time."

Jane leaned down to tuck her covers in and fluff the pillow behind her head. "I'll be right next door with Thor, okay? Let Jarvis know if you need anything and we'll be right over."

Darcy smiled, sometimes it was nice to have people looking out for you. "Thanks Janie." She closed her eyes…

Then she opened them again.

"Oh by the way," she called as they started to leave the room, "If I have the flu you guys should definitely check out Steve. I made out with him earlier tonight. In a totally platonic way, of course."

Jane and Bruce froze in shock while Thor grinned outright.

Natasha smirked. "I thought he had a skip in his step when I passed him in the hall tonight."

Bruce sighed. "Alright; but for the love of God, no one tell Tony."

Jane snorted as they finally left the room. "No argument there."

* * *

Back in their room Jane turned to Thor, worry etched across her features and tensing her shoulders. "Thor.." she asked hesitantly, "do you maybe think you could get your friend to 'take a peek' and see what's going on with her? Why all these things keep happening?"

He opened his mouth to answer but she cut him off, "I know it's cheating and against the rules, but it's an emergency. So much is going on and she's been through so much and I know she doesn't look like it but she's about to crack Thor. She keeps in so much and hides behind her jokes and sarcasm, but she's scared and she's not saying anything and it's making me scared because when she gets quiet it's not good and these things keep happening and I know the flu was nobody's fault truly but it all just feels like she's being targeted and now she's got this freaking super assassin sending her gifts-"

Thor wrapped his arms around his lady, conveying as much love and support as he could. He was worried too. Fear had lanced his heart when Darcy collapsed in the elevator. It was as if a switch had been flipped; she went from laughter and brightness to pallid and wilting in only a moment. And he could do nothing to stop it, only catch her as she fell to the ground.

He had come to a decision then, and now he would speak it to Jane. "I had decided to go to Heimdal as well." Her arms tightened around him. "I'm worried too Jane."

* * *

Darcy woke the next morning with a burning throat and sweat soaked pajamas. Reaching out towards the nightstand to flick on the lamp took more effort than she realized, the fever sapping her strength. She didn't remember the flu being this intense, but then again the last time she had the flu was right before her mom died. A lot of things had gotten intense after that.

Shaking off the melancholy of old memories, she got up to take a shower because she felt all sweaty and gross. She nearly had a heart attack upon her return to find Nat casually relaxed on her bed, watching TV like she'd been there for hours.

"Jeeze Nat, wear a fucking bell," she exclaimed, her scratchy throat making her voice come out thready. She plopped unceremoniously onto the bed.

Completely unconcerned, Nat pointed to a travel mug sitting on the bedside table. "I brought you a smoothie; it'll help with the raw throat and fever."

Darcy gave a weak smile, "Thanks." Taking a tentative sip from the offered beverage, because swallowing hurt, she was delighted to find that the combination of ginger and pineapple did indeed soothe her scratchy throat. Along with the drink being frozen of course.

Natasha watched her quietly before she spoke again. "Steve's not sick by the way." She chuckled. "Thanks for that. I didn't even know he could turn that shade of red until Bruce asked him if any other bodily fluids had been exchanged."

Darcy snorted, nearly spraying smoothie everywhere. "Totally platonic there. He just needs to freakin relax. Although I understand why he barely goes out; which reminds me, we need to find a better way to disguise him. The only reason I made out with him in the first place was because this woman recognized him and was eye-fucking him so hard _I_ wanted to blush. I get the feeling that happens to the poor guy a lot. He can't even go to a movie without being accosted."

Nat nodded, "It does; especially since D.C. I'll see about helping him finding a better disguise than a ball cap and a pair of glasses."

"Good."

Darcy had finished about half of the contents of the mug (which she was starting to suspect Nat had made herself- she could be surprisingly nurturing for an assassin) when Nat silently handed her a newspaper.

STARK BUY'S NEW MISTRESS BODY GLITTER AND OTHER ODDITIES, screamed out from the headline.

Darcy nearly spit out her smoothie. "But we went to a Craft Barn! How is that even remotely salacious? Seriously, can no one casually hang out with a billionaire anymore?" She looked closer at the photo of them standing together in the aisle of the craft store they had gone to after Tony picked her up form lunch with Pepper the other day. "And they totally photoshopped this!"

Nat nodded calmly. "They usually do, but that's not what matters now. What matters is that you're now more in the public eye, which means that our enemies are your enemies. Especially Stark's. We're going to have to be more vigilant where your safety is concerned."

"As opposed to the security already in place?" she asked sarcastically.

"Yep," Nat said simply

"Awesome," Darcy sighed as she focused on the TV for the first time since she'd come back from the bathroom. Huh, Natasha liked cooking competitions, who knew.

* * *

To say that Dr. Banner was perplexed when Darcy's fever broke two days later would be an understatement. By all affects, Darcy seemed as if she'd barely been sick at all.

"I don't understand," Bruce said with concern, "You were sick and feverish just two hours ago. It's impossible for you to have recovered this quickly. Generally the effects of the flu last four days at the very minimum. Yet your test just came back negative…"

Darcy shrugged. "I really don't know Bruce. I only ever had the flu one time before this one."

"What happened then?" He asked. "Do you remember how long it lasted?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I was seven then. I came home from school one day and I remember being just really hot and tired. My mom took me to the emergency room and they told her I had a particularly nasty strain of the flu that had been going around and that I had probably caught it at school. I think it was maybe a week before I was mostly over it."

Bruce nodded as he typed something into his tablet. "Do you remember anything odd about it?"

"Not that I can think of. I just remember being really sick and my mom taking a whole week off from work just to take care of me. Despite me having had the flu it's one of my best memories of my mom. She made me soup and popsicles from scratch, and we watched a ton of movies and soap operas."

Bruce smiled, looking up from his recordings. "That must have been nice."

"Yeah," she agreed, "It really was. She had been working all these extra hours so I hadn't been able to spend as much time with her as usual. I found out later that she had been working all those hours to get me a bike I had wanted."

"Did you? Get the bike, I mean."

She shook her head. "No.. no I didn't; she uh died a month later. Bad car accident."

Bruce's face fell. "I'm sorry Darcy."

She shook her head again and swiped at an errant tear. "It's ok. It happened a long time ago."

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "That may be true but I know that pain never fades away."

Seeing the understanding in his eyes, she surmised that yes, he really did know.

They sat there in silence as they remembered those they had loved and lost.

* * *

Maybelline capped the pen she'd been writing with and looked up at the video screen centered on her desk. "You're going to have to make an appearance in court Miss Lewis."

"It's because the paparazzi just branded me as Tony's mistress isn't it?" Darcy glanced over at her supposed 'sugar daddy' who was rubbing the spot between his brow and the bridge of his nose, and probably regretting agreeing to join the video conference after Maybelline requested his presence. "I told you that was a reporter we passed on our way into the crafts store."

Tony sighed in frustration, he really wished Pepper was there to help handle this. Stupid board review. "Well maybe next time we're shopping for body glitter together don't ask me which color looks better in strobe lights and cigar smoke. It's called being discreet. "

"Hey I was genuinely curious about that and it was a pretty safe bet that you knew the answer "Mr. Ah-I-don't-have-any-cash-run-me-a-tab! Who runs a tab at a strip club anyways?"

"What the- how do you even know about that?! And it wasn't a strip club."

"Oh ho, excuse me 'Gentleman's Palace' then, like what the actual fuck is the difference? And duh dude I got Pepper Potts drunk; and drunk Pepper Potts talks. A lot. Especially about how her boss, who she forgets is actually her boyfriend and not her boss anymore, likes to take her to strip clubs in the middle of the flippin day."

"Those were working lunches! …And ok maybe, at that time, I was trying to scope out what her feelings might have been in a more neutral setting."

"Jeez, neutral? If those are the opening stages of your courting rituals I shudder to think what your marriage proposal will look like; you'll probably just fling the damn ring in her face."

"Yes neutral; anyone who knows gentlemen's clubs knows that the women are in the ultimate position of power, if anything I stacked the deck in her favor. It's really profound and empowering if you think about it-"

"Ahem." They turned back to Maybelline, having forgotten they were still in a video conference. "I would advise you to finish this little squabble when your tab for _me_ isn't still running, Mr. Stark." Her tone was firm but her eyes twinkled in amusement nonetheless. "Now back to the business at hand, yes I do think the article slandering your character is the reason for the prolonging of your case Miss Lewis. We're all mostly adults here and I have to ask you both seriously; is there any truth to these allegations? Anything I need to know before we get to court?" She raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"Nope, nuh uh, ew. God no."

Shaking her head Darcy was about to voice her own denial when Tony's vehement response registered. She shot him an indignant glare. "Grossness aside, I could totally be a mistress and I'm talkin high class here. I'm hot, I talk good." She pointed to her face. "This just screams clandestine affair-"

"Kid-"

"Nope, nuh uh, ew? Ew? Really?"

"Kid I really-"

She held her arms out. "This is prime real estate here buddy, I could totally-"

"No, no you can't! You're young enough to be my.. person..child type thing."

"Wow, is that a new subspecies of human you've discovered there, Man of Iron? Come on I could totally pass as a trashy mistress-"

"No kid, you're- I think you're my kid and I'm having a DNA test done; we'll know in a few hours."

"Oh…."

She couldn't think of anything else to say at first; 'Oh' seemed to about cover it. Come to think of it, to look at the both of them side by side they could be related in some way… As she stared at Tony, something else registered. "Wait a minute, how did you get the DNA for my half of the test?"

"Well…"

"Oh my God, is this why all my hair brushes keep mysteriously going missing?!"

* * *

"It's negative."

"Yeah.. so uh.."

"It's alright, you probably didn't need a train wreck like me anyway. I would have fucked up your life kid."

"….."

He pulled an old board full of wires out from under one of the workbenches in the shop and started tinkering; he wouldn't meet her eyes. "Well I'm sure Doc Foster's lookin for you. Exciting day and all that, tell her about the bullet you dodged."

"Ok." She said quietly and left the room, giving him the space he'd silently asked for.

* * *

She wasn't sure who was more surprised when after knocking and the door slid open she burst into tears, her or Steve. As it turned out the legendary star spangled man with the plan didn't have one when it came to a crying woman. But he tried his best, which consisted of wrapping her in a blanket(even though she wasn't cold) and making her hot chocolate as the whole story spilled out.

She took a sip of the deliciously chocolaty drink (she was totally gonna shake him down for the recipe later) and sniffled a little. "It's not like I was expecting anything, really I wasn't. But a tiny part of me hoped, ya know? Honestly I feel kind of stupid for getting this upset about it."

Steve nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I know. But Darcy, you have a right to be upset about it, about all of it. With everything you've been through lately- the amount of strength you've shown is amazing. I've known even soldiers to break at a certain point, but you get up and keep going. Don't sell yourself short just because you let a few tears go."

She smiled at him over the rim of her mug. "Thanks Steve." She took in her surroundings for the first time, noting the stack of books he had on his coffee table. There was no other decoration in his living room barring a large map of the United States and a few tasteful art pieces she suspected had been there when he moved in. She totally needed to change that. "Still trying to catch up on some things huh?" she asked, tilting her head towards the books.

He nodded, a little frustrated. "Yes. I still don't understand what happened when we got to the 80's though."

She burst out laughing, "No one does Steve."

She was still laughing at the look on his face when her phone rang. Not recognizing the number she answered with some trepidation, half expecting it to be a telemarketer.

"Hello, may I please speak to Darcy Lewis?"

"I'm Darcy Lewis, who is this?"

"Miss Lewis, hi, this is Anne from the records department at Maria Stark Memorial. I'm so sorry to bother you but it appears that some of your medical forms were not fully filled out during your stay. Now normally I'd just fax them to over to you but unfortunately our system is experiencing some problems. Seeing as you're less than 15 miles from us, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming in tomorrow morning and completing the paperwork? It would only take about ten minutes at the most."

"Sure, I wouldn't mind. I'll see you tomorrow around 11, if that's okay?"

"Absolutely, thank you Miss Lewis. Goodbye."

Darcy hung up and turned to Steve. "Mind going with me to the hospital tomorrow morning? Since I have to have an escort and everything. Thor would probably go but he left for Asgard an hour ago."

Steve nodded as he took a sip from his mug, "Sure."

"Great there's an awesome bookstore halfway between the tower and the hospital, we can stop on the way back." _And the consignment store next door to it,_ she mentally added. The look of the living room was just sad; she shuddered to think how the rest of his rooms looked.

She poked at the pile of books sitting on the coffee table. "You're solely lacking in classics here."

Steve snorted as he surveyed titles by George Orwell, J.R.R Tolkien, and Ray Bradbury. "Really?"

Darcy grinned, "Trust me you'll be thanking me once I hook you up. I probably won't see you for days once you start."

* * *

The explosion rocked the busy street. Steve threw his body over Darcy as debris and smoke rained down; people started screaming and running away in fear and confusion. Through the haze they saw multiple floors of Maria Stark Memorial on fire. Darcy was already dialing 911 while Steve called the rest of the team as he pulled her away from the building and across the street.

"She's ok," he said to Tony on the other end, "we were outside the building when the explosion happened and now we're across the street. Tony I have to go back in, there are a lot of people still in the building that need help- okay." He turned and handed his phone to Darcy. "Here, stay here and stay on the phone with Tony. He and the team are on their way, they're gonna get you out of here."

Steve ran back into the chaos as Darcy put the phone up to her ear, placing her own in her jacket pocket. "Hey kid," Tony said, "I'll be there in four minutes. Jarvis has pinpointed your location and Happy is en route with the car, so here's what we're gonna do: I'm gonna grab you-so don't freak out when I pick you up- and take you to Happy, who will get you back to the tower while the rest of us handle everything. Sound good?"

Darcy's instincts were screaming as she watched people running from the building. "Yes. But Tony, something isn't right. I can't really explain it but something is seriously wrong here. I can feel it."

"I'm almost there, kid. If something happens before I get there you run, okay? Put the phone in your pocket and run. I promise I'll find you."

The prickling sensation she had been feeling turned to full pins and needles as she felt a sudden shift in the air. "Ok." She said simply as she kept her eyes on all the confusion happing around her.

* * *

Steve had just finished evacuating the 3rd floor maternity ward when he saw him. Bucky holding a fire extinguisher and guiding a heavily pregnant woman toward the stairwell. There was no time for the shock to fully set in, so he just kept moving. They cleared the 5th floor with little to no problem and left the rest of hospital security to deal with assessments there, with the promise of emergency services and the Avengers on the way. It was a little more difficult when they got to the 9th floor, as this was where the blaze was the strongest. The hospital labs were on this floor, which housed a lot of hazardous and flammable materials. Side by side, Steve and Bucky waded into the chaos.

* * *

Tires screeched as two large black vans pulled to a stop in front of her. Darcy was already turning to run as the panel doors slid open revealing men dressed in tactical gear. She saw Iron Man approaching quickly in the distance while someone grabbed at her from behind, luckily they only got a handful of her hoodie and she was able to shrug out of it. Another man approached at her side and grabbed her by the hair and shoulder, trying to drag her towards the van. Ignoring the pain ripping at her scalp, Darcy turned and rammed her elbow towards his groin, hitting dead center. He grunted loosening his grip but not enough, she was still caught.

She only had a small window of time to escape and it was closing fast as she was approached on all sides. She heard gunfire and realized the reason why Tony hadn't gotten to her yet. She didn't know why they wanted her, but she would not let herself be taken again.

She wrenched her arm out his grasp and reached up and yanked the rest of her hair out of his hand, ignoring the pain as more than a few strands got caught between his fingers. Straightening she punched him in the throat, putting as much force as she could into it, while also clawing her nails across his face. She had her opening as he dropped to the ground gasping and clutching at his injured throat. She darted in and out of people and cars as she ran through the debris and panicked crowd trying to get away from the still burning building, her would be kidnappers in hot pursuit.

* * *

Tony dodged another EMP blast, returning fire with his gauntlets. "Fuck! Jarvis where's the kid? She still got the phone on her?"

"Yes Sir, I have her location, she is currently moving on 14th Street. I have mapped her trajectory and it would appear she is trying to make her way back to the tower on foot."

Tony took in the mess in front of him. Multiple men with automatic weapons swarmed the area. Black Widow was fighting in the thick of it while Clint ran into the hospital to help Steve and the fucking Winter Soldier who'd popped up out of nowhere and apparently decided to switch sides for the time being.

"Jarvis, activate Bystander Protocol and connect me to Happy." Hopefully the robots he'd designed specifically to help protect innocent bystanders during battles would give them enough of an edge, so he could soon go after Darcy.

"Yes Sir."

* * *

Darcy took a turn down an alleyway to get away from the crowd. She stayed hunched against the wall, trying to catch her breath and ignored the twinging pain in her shoulder. _Why did all this shit keep happening to her?_ She wondered hysterically. _Had she pissed off the universe in some monumental way and not realized it?_

A sudden beeping startled her, but looking around she found nothing in the alley but herself and the various flotsam and grime of time passed. Then she realized Steve's phone was still in her back pocket.

"Tony?" she asked breathlessly, the wobble in her voice betraying her fear.

"Yeah it's me. Are you still being chased?"

She checked back the way she'd come. "I-I'm not sure. I just stopped in an alley, but I don't see anyone coming this way yet. But they're going to find me if I don't get out of here."

"Ok here's the new plan, Jarvis has your location and Happy is almost there. Just hang in there, kid, okay? You're going to be okay; I promise I won't let anything happen to you. Happy's gonna come and he's gonna get you back to the tower."

"Okay," she said shakily.

She saw a black sedan pull up to the other end of the ally and Happy got out, his gun drawn and at the ready. "He's here." She shoved the phone back into her pocket and hurried forward.

In her haste to make it out of the alley she wasn't vigilant about where she stepped and subsequently tripped, the skin on her leg and knee burning as she skidded to the dirty ground.

Happy was starting toward her as she crawled to her feet when shots were suddenly fired.

"Happy !" she screamed as his body fell to the ground beside the open car door.

His attacker paid no mind as he casually stepped over the fallen bodyguard and into the alley, intent on his mission. She looked over her shoulder hoping to find someone willing to help at the opposite end but she saw only darkness as another van blocked the way out. Resolved to her fate she picked up the broken pipe she'd tripped over, lamenting that her taser was in the pocket of her discarded jacket, and prepared to fight. They might take her but she was going to make sure they hurt for it first. _For me and Happy_ , she thought as she saw the blood spreading across his pristine white shirt.

Her assailant pulled out a shocker baton and a pair of handcuffs. Darcy hefted the pipe. Then he was suddenly thrown forcefully against the wall and disarmed, his body falling to the ground unconscious. Shots fired from the opposite end of the alley way, toward the man who appeared from out of nowhere.

Before she could say or do anything, she was picked up and tossed over a hard shoulder as he turned and returned fire. She started fighting to get away until she noticed a glint of metal from the hand that held the gun. _Soldier._

She hadn't recognized him at first with his dark jacket, gloved hands, and hat tugged low over his face.

He backed out of the alley towards the car, his body turned to protect her from the flying bullets, returning fire all the while. He set her down when the shooting stopped and opened the back door of the sedan, nodding as he proceeded to lift Happy from the ground. "Get in."

Heart in her throat, Darcy ran around the back of the car and opened the door on the other side, crawling in and closing it behind her. Soldier had lifted Happy one-handed into the backseat and she helped by wrapping her arms around his abdomen and pulling as Soldier pushed his legs in, all the while keeping his gun fixed down the alleyway. Together they got him settled onto the seat with Darcy supporting his head and upper body in her lap; it was cramped but it worked.

Soldier leaned into the car and grabbed her hands, placing them firmly over Happy's wound. "Put pressure on it, the blood flow needs to slow down as much as possible. I'll be right back." He tossed his gun on the seat beside her. "Use that if you have to." Closing the door, he pulled out a large tactical knife and another gun and quickly disappeared down the alley.

Darcy was relieved to find that Happy was still breathing.

"It's going to be okay Happy. He's gonna get us out of here." She promised shakily, ignoring the amount of blood seeping through her fingers as her eyes teared up.

"Kid, are you okay? What's happening?" Tony's voice urgently asked from the car's speakers.

Relief coursed through her at the sound of his voice."Happy's been shot. I'm in the backseat with him and I'm trying to put pressure on his wound like he told me, but there's a lot of blood. Soldier said he'd be right back but-"

The driver side door suddenly opened and Soldier got in. "Hold on, it's gonna get a little rough."

"Soldier?" Tony questioned worriedly. "Wait what-"

His questioning was cut short by a bullet coming through the open window and hitting the radio console.

Darcy shrieked and ducked.

Soldier rolled the window down farther as he sped away from the alley and returned fire.

Darcy heard a sharp pop and the sounds of crunching metal as she scrunched down further in the back and held onto Happy.

* * *

Soldier lost the van chasing them and got them to the nearest hospital in record time.

"Thanks Soldier." Darcy said breathlessly as they screeched up to the entrance usually reserved for ambulances.

"Call me James." He got out of the driver's seat and opened the back door closest to Happy as he glanced towards the security guard coming through the sliding hospital doors. "Don't tell them everything, you're still in danger. I'll be close."

"Okay." After glancing at the approaching guard Darcy turned back to James, but he was already gone. She didn't have time to worry about it. "Help, please," she called out, "my friend has been shot!"

* * *

They took Happy into surgery while an orderly peppered Darcy with questions she could barely answer for fear of putting herself and Happy in further danger. She excused herself to go to the bathroom and wash the blood off her hands. Happy's blood.

Swallowing back her guilt she exited the facilities and leaned against the wall near the vending machine in the hall, hoping the orderly had decided to move on and find her later. She didn't plan on talking again until the team found her and Happy. James was right, it wouldn't be the last they heard of Hydra; not with the blatant way they'd just tried to grab her. There was no ignoring it or believing her first kidnapping hadn't been anything but a fluke. She just wished she knew the reason why.

"The knife. I told you to use it if you had to."

His statement startled her out of her worried musings; the hall had been completely empty when she walked out of the restroom. She turned to face him.

"Okay ignoring the fact that I received no such instructions when I got that last gift, and that you took the time to actually make me a teddy bear (which I totally love by the way), my taser works much better. And it's less icky."

He snorted. "Your taser didn't work so well when you met me, did it sweetheart?"

She rolled her eyes. Men. "So, what, you want me to stab you?"

"If you have to." He said simply.

"Anyone ever tell you you're like super intense?"

"Only you so far."

She smirked. "Cool, I'm your first."

He raised a brow at her but ignored her comment. Taking a step closer he asked, "You ready to go?"

She was confused. "Go? Go where?"

"Hydra is after you; you can't stay here, it's not safe."

She shook her head vehemently. "No, I'm not leaving Happy." She couldn't; not when it was her fault he was shot in the first place.

"He's going to be okay. The hit he took was mainly in the shoulder and upper chest, no major arteries were hit, he'll pull through."

She crossed her arms and glared up at him. "How do you know that? Are you the authority on gunshot wounds?"

He mirrored her stance minus the glare. "Pretty much."

She shook her head in frustration. "Dude, it doesn't matter I'm not leaving him."

He sighed as he dropped his hands down loosely at his sides. "I thought so. Sorry about this angel."

"What-" only she didn't get to finish because James had squeezed a spot between her neck and shoulder and everything went black.


	12. Chapter 12

Hi, sorry for the long wait everyone. Thank you for reading, reviewing, and being patient with me. It is very much appreciated, you don't even know how much. Also sorry about that last little cliffhanger, but you see why I had to do it, right guys? Guys? Hehe. But seriously though, enjoy the chapter, it's a juicy one!

* * *

" _You know what you should be doing, so why aren't you doing it?"_

"Shut up." He muttered to himself.

" _You are not taking proper care of the asset."_

Bucky rolled his eyes and ignored the dark voice whispering in his mind as he placed Darcy gently into the passenger seat of a black sedan with tinted windows he'd taken from the hospital parking garage. He knew Stark or Hydra could find them within minutes even if the windows were tinted, but it would take a little more time to do so.

" _And every minute counts…"_

For once Bucky was in total agreement with the voice of his alter ego in his head. Glancing over at the unconscious woman in the seat beside him, he nodded to himself as he pulled out into traffic; every minute counted where she was concerned.

* * *

"Mr. Stark, Mr. Hogan is in recovery. His surgery went well; we removed the bullets and patched him up."

"Bullets? Plural?" Tony asked.

"Yes," the doctor answered. "He was shot twice in the same spot. The second bullet pushed the first clean through out the other side of his abdomen. It's what was causing him to lose nearly twice the amount of blood. If the young lady hadn't gotten him here so quickly he would have died."

"Fuck."

Doctor Plath held up her hand in a calming gesture. "Not to worry Mr. Stark, we gave him a transfusion and he is resting comfortably. He should be awake in a few hours. He's going to need some physical therapy once he's healed a little more but other than that he'll be back on his feet in no time."

Tony released a sigh. "Thanks Doc." He turned to enter Happy's room as the doctor made her departure.

Tony stared at his friend in the hospital bed.

How many more, he wondered to himself, how many more people would be hurt by the time they finally eradicated Hydra?

His thoughts turned to Darcy. The poor kid was probably scared, confused and angry. As in the dark as the rest of them as to why Hydra came after her.

And he'd pushed her away, like he used to do when things came a little too close to home. Guilt sat like a stone in his stomach. He was a horrible person, he mused as he looked back down at Happy. But she wasn't. In spite of everything, she had gotten Happy to the hospital, even being in the company of the Winter Soldier.

His kid had come through and he would do the same for her.

Picking up the remote on the bedside table Tony checked his watch, turned on the TV, and started flipping through channels until he found it. As the theme song for Downton Abbey started playing, the door opened and Pepper stepped in.

Immediately hugging Tony, she looked sadly down at Happy. "I just spoke to his doctor and I'm going set up his rehab. What happened today?"

"It was a blitz attack Pep. They drew her out so they could take her. Darcy, not Foster."

"But why? What do they want with her so badly to go after her in such a blatant way?"

"I don't know yet."

"We have to find her."

Tony frustratedly rubbed his face, a headache forming behind his eyes. "I've got Jarvis scanning the city for her and the Winter Soldier. Barton and Romanoff are tracking her escape from Stark Memorial to here. Foster's calling for Heimdal to send Thor back down. Cap's getting in touch with Wilson and handling the aftermath at Stark Memorial. I've got the surveillance video from the hospital corridor and I'm going back out too, I just had to make sure-"

"That Happy was alright," Pepper finished for him. "I understand and so does everyone else, Darcy included." She placed her hands on the sides of his face and forced him to meet her eyes. "Stop beating yourself up over this. None of us had any way of knowing that this would happen."

"But I _should_ have Pepper. I knew they were experimenting on her the first time they took her and I put Bruce on trying to figure out what they did. But.. I let other things distract me and now she's out there with one of the most dangerous assassins in the world and fucking _Hydra_ breathing down her neck. All because _I_ wasn't paying attention to what was important."

Pepper shook her head determinedly as she continued to stare into his eyes. "This is not your fault Tony. And I know you still think she's your daughter, I know you've had her tested multiple times. But that is not a distraction, it's a connection. You, Tony Stark are a very guarded man. It's understandable; you lost your parents at a young age, you had a rocky relationship with your father, people treated you differently because you were born into money and they've tried to use you because of it, you've both had to prove and defend yourself in the same sentence throughout your entire life, you've been lied to, betrayed, and kidnapped. And you literally had to build a suit of armor to escape and protect yourself. But look at what you did, after all of that, after everything you went through. You shut down your weapons division and started striving and building towards world peace the best way you knew how. You've worked to protect people and make the world a better place when you could have gone in the other direction completely and mass produced that armor and started a new phase in the arms race." She placed her hand on his chest. "Your suits may be made of iron but your heart isn't."

"You have formed a strong connection with this girl, and whether or not she's related to you doesn't matter. She's already family; so let's bring her home."

Tony sighed as he stared into her eyes. "You know you're the best part of me, right?"

Grinning Pepper brought her lips to his lovingly. They pulled away when Nat's voice came in over the coms. "I think I know where they're headed, Clint and I are on our way there now. I'm sending you the info now."

Tony read the information projecting from his watch as his suit assembled around him and he head for the nearest exit, eyebrows raised in disbelief. "Seriously?"

* * *

Bucky drove into the garage of the building across the street form Stark's tower, parking in the exact center. Getting out of the driver's side he made sure to keep his face out of view of the parking structure's cameras and walked around the front of the car to the other side; Stark was sure to be hacking into the city's cameras scanning for their faces and he didn't want to be found just yet. Gathering up his sleeping charge, he gently touched her cheek with his fingertips, being extra careful not to hurt her. She'd been hurt enough; he'd already failed her once and it wouldn't happen again. Not if he could help it. Too many he had failed in his long lifetime. So many faces in his dreams. Hers the most recent addition.

Smoothing her hair back he promised himself that this would be the only time he'd allow his guard to slip; while she was unconscious in his arms and unaware of how broken he really was. He allowed himself to take in the softness of her skin, the silky feel of her hair, committing it to memory. Something to hold on to in his darkest hours. Then he forced it to the back of his mind and focused on his mission. Her protection.

He lowered her feet to the ground, supporting her body in the crease of his shoulder with the shift in balance. Then he reached over and applied pressure to a nerve in her neck to wake her up.

Eyes fluttering, Darcy opened her eyes in drowsy confusion, snuggling into his side before she remembered what had happened.

Angrily she pushed away from him and walked a few paces away to lean against the garage wall.

"I'm mad at you."

"I know."

"Was knocking me out really necessary?"

"You weren't going to listen," He said glancing up at the ceiling.

She crossed her arms. "You don't know that."

"Might not know you well Angel, but I do know you wouldn't have left that man alone in the hospital if you had a say." He raised a brow as he continued to stare up at the ceiling. "Tell me I'm wrong."

Darcy glared at him, damn him he was right, but it didn't mean she had to admit it. She asked another question instead. "Where are we?"

"Somewhere safe and away from cameras for the time being."

She rolled her eyes. "No shit Sherlock, but where in actuality are we?"

"A parking garage."

She sighed in frustration. She decided to change tactics. "Okay," she started calmly, "why are we currently in a parking garage?"

He cautiously stepped closer, as if he were trying his best not to scare her. But that was silly, she thought; she was a little miffed with his kidnapping her in the middle of an argument, but she didn't think she'd ever be afraid of him.

His voice snapped her back to the matter at hand.

"Because you're in danger but I didn't want to take you too far. I wanted to talk to you and _he_ wanted to check, and neither one of us wanted to frighten you more than you already have been, so I compromised."

Darcy's face crumpled in confusion. "Us? He? Who is _he_?"

Bucky seemed to battle internally with himself before he answered haltingly. "The.. Soldier."

Darcy thought about the implications that one sentence held, then promptly decided not to worry about it at the moment. So her super metally armed friend had a second personality? After her dealings with Bruce and George it was old hat. In the words of her generation, _meh_.

"Okay," she said, "well tell _him_ I said thank you for rescuing me from the alley and helping me get Happy to the hospital." She stepped away from the wall, feeling steadier than when she first woke up. "And I also wanna say it to you too. Seriously, thank you James. You saved my life and Happy's."

She tilted her head as she stared up at him. "That still doesn't completely explain why you've secondary locationed me to a random garage though."

He regarded her seriously. "Hydra wants you,"

She nodded, acknowledging his statement as fact. He continued, "and not because you work with Dr. Foster. I don't know why yet."

Darcy raised her hands helplessly. "Aren't you technically Hydra? I mean I know you escaped and all, good on you by the way, but they didn't tell you why they kidnapped me in the first place?"

He shook his head frustratedly. "No. I was part of the recovery team, not the recon. We were told to bring you in alive and eliminate anyone who got in our way." That brought a shiver to Darcy's spine as she thought of Jane locked in the closet just feet away as they took her. "After you shocked me, I kept flipping back and forth between the Soldier and Bucky. I think we both wanted to help you, we just didn't know how."

"Then they _'wiped'_ you?" she asked. "What does that mean? I thought they meant to kill you."

His expression shut down. "They might as well have. They reprogramed me, or they tried to. For some reason it didn't take this time."

Her eyebrows rose in alarm. "This time?" she asked. "How many times have they done this?"

"By my last count I've been reprogramed over 200 times in the last 70 years."

Darcy's heart broke for Bucky. But she sensed from the look in his eyes he didn't want to talk about what those monsters had done to him. She understood, she never wanted to talk about the monsters lingering in her past either.

She asked something else instead. "Why are you helping me? I know I said we were friends and I really do consider you my friend by why are you considering me yours? I mean, after everything that's happened to you, you could have had true freedom. But you came here and now Hydra's here and they could get to you; why help me?"

He didn't say anything at first, just watched her as she waited for an answer. Stepping closer, he stared into her eyes. "Because you reminded me of someone. Because you don't deserve what's happening to you." Cold eyes stared down into warm ones. "Because you saw a person where everyone else saw a weapon and a monster. And I promise I will repay that kindness." He whispered the last.

Darcy opened her mouth to say.. something, she wasn't sure what after a declaration like that, when he glanced sharply over her shoulder. Placing a finger over his lips he melted into the shadows of the garage. Leaving her in the darkness, alone.

She sighed after five minutes of tense silence and he didn't return. "Fucking great."

That's when she felt the hand suddenly grip her shoulder.

With a shriek she turned and started to claw at their eyes when the glint of red hair in the low lights of the garage caught her eye.

"Fuck! Nat, you have to stop doing that! Do you know how scary today was? Do you?!"

Suddenly she was wrapped up in a hug. The shock of it caused the tears she hadn't noticed collecting in the corners of her eyes to fall, and she started sobbing into the Black Widow's shoulder.

Natasha hugged her tighter and started rubbing her back, whispering soothingly in her mother tongue until the distraught young woman in her arms clamed down.

"It's okay," she murmured as Clint climbed down from his vantage point and Tony flew in from the entrance, "it's okay. You did good today. You did so good; you fought back and you ran when you were supposed to and you got away."

Darcy's started to shiver as her mind and body finally registered the shock of the day's events.

* * *

He watched the assassin slip into the garage. No one noticed her, because she didn't want to be noticed. Then he heard a shriek, followed by language rarely used by women in public in his day. He smiled. _She'll be alright for the time being_ , he thought (both to himself and The Soldier) as he watched Iron Man fly through the entrance next; he had also felt Hawkeye's arrow trained on him before he slipped away. She was secure. If she weren't he wouldn't have brought her back. He would have listened to _Him_ and taken her out of the city all together; stashed her somewhere instead. He watched as the Black Widow led her charge out of the garage and into the building across the street, followed by Iron Man and Hawkeye. She was fine for now, but more protection would be needed later on.

* * *

The sounds of shots being fired shook Darcy awake. By the time she finally calmed down and realized she was just dreaming curled up in Jane and Thor's bed, her back against Jane's and Thor sleeping in the comfy chair in the corner with Mjolnir at his feet, she couldn't go back to sleep.

Crawling out of the large bed in the low lamplight they had left on at her request, she grabbed James's knife off the nightstand and gingerly made her way to the door. She still hurt from where the Hydra agent grabbed her earlier in the day and from her frantic flight from the attack at Stark Memorial. Her scrapes and cuts from the fall in the alleyway weren't being gracious either. But what hurt the most were the new scars that would never be visible. The ones that made company beside the old ones and encouraged the nightmares to tiptoe their dreadful fingertips across her exhausted mind.

"Where are you going little sister?" Thor's voice asked quietly into the darkened room. He had awakened when she had, having heard her frightened gasp.

"I'm just going to go make myself some hot cocoa Lightening Bro," Darcy quickly glanced at Jane's still sleeping form before meeting his concerned eyes, "I'll be fine."

He hesitated at first; when he'd arrived it was to the sight of a hysterical Jane, a blood covered Darcy (luckily it was not hers, unluckily it belonged to Happy Hogan), and a tense team.

In the end he relented, sensing that Darcy needed some space for she had been surrounded, questioned, and watched concernedly by the various members of the team throughout the rest of the night until Jane dragged her to their room to sleep. As long as she was in the tower under Jarvis's watchful eye she would be fine he decided. "Alright. If you need us, let me know."

Relieved, Darcy smiled before she left the room. "I will Thor, thanks."

* * *

Sam Wilson casually made his way into the tower's communal kitchen, coming up short in surprise at the sight of a young woman with flour in her hair hurriedly pulling a tray of muffins out of the oven. He hadn't expected anyone else to be up and fully operating by the time he got in. Barnes had lead him on a wild goose chase all over Europe only for Sam to find out he'd been spotted in New York.

Leaning against the wall next to the doorway, he watched while the girl muttered to herself as she took another tray from the off the top of the stove and slid it into the oven.

Glancing around he found the rest of the kitchen in chaos. Flour and batter spattered the countertops amid a growing amount of baked goods. His snort brought her attention in an about face towards the doorway where he stood.

Taking a step back, she dragged a lethal looking tactical knife off the counter. "Who are you?"

He held his hands up in a non-threatening gesture. "I'm Sam, a buddy of Cap's."

She pursed her lips and eyed him suspiciously for a moment, but put down the knife. "Do you make it a habit of laughing at people as they labor over a hot oven, _Sam Buddy of Cap's_?"

He dropped his hands back down. "Nope, but you do have flour in your hair."

She pulled out a strand to examine it and found his words to be true, the tension leaving her body. "Fair enough. I'm Darcy, wanna muffin?"

And that's how Sam found himself at 5 in the morning eating muffins and laughing uproariously at stories of Darcy's attempts to acclimate Steve to modern times.

* * *

As the rest of the team started to trickle in, Darcy raced around the kitchen putting the last of the food she had prepared into the oven; cleaning up here and there as she went.

"She alright?" Clint asked Jane as he eyed Darcy and all the food covering the kitchen countertops.

"Yeah," Jane sighed in resignation as she watched her best friend hurriedly place heaping plates of food on the large table in the adjacent dining area with a look of single minded determination. "Darcy stress bakes. And under that umbrella lies apology breakfasts. It's a thing."

The oven chimed, "Quiche is ready," Darcy called out.

"But what is it she thinks she needs to apologize for?" Steve asked as he stood next to them observing the girl in question.

"She feels guilty because you guys had to fight and pull her out of another scrape yesterday. Especially with what happened with Happy."

Steve was incredulous. "But we always have to fight. And sure she was the target this time but we would never be upset with her over that. She's the victim in all of this. We just want her safe, she _should_ be safe, and she should never feel guilty about that." Anger burned through him at the fact that this young woman, his friend, felt guilty for them having to protect her from Hydra. More than anything he wanted them destroyed, for all the people they hurt and ruined with all their plans of power and world domination; for Bucky and now Darcy.

"That's true," Jane agreed, knocking the young nonagenarian out of his thoughts, "But she still feels guilty. It's been like that since I've known her. If something bad happens that even indirectly involves her, the guilt comes on strong. Some papers of mine went missing earlier this year, and now that I think about it I suspect it was her weird ass boyfriend/intern who took them, but I don't think Darcy knew that at the time. She made so many blueberry muffins my mom started giving them out to the neighbors. But she also dumped Ian so that was kind of a plus."

"So what do we do?" Clint asked worriedly. "How do we fix this?"

"We thank her for making breakfast and then we eat it. Trust me, it will be delicious. It's all we can do. Despite the attitude she's a caretaker at heart, if she sees everyone happy and taken care of she'll settle down."

So that's what they did. Everyone came together around the large table in the common room and had a sit down breakfast under the watchful eyes of one Darcy M. Lewis.

* * *

 _Like Nat_ , Clint snorted to himself as Darcy glared him into taking another helping of bacon and eggs. No wonder the former Russian spy had a soft spot for her. _And so do I,_ he thought as she tossed a napkin at his head and grinned at him around her mouthful of chocolate muffin when he ducked. He and Nat had been working with her on her reflexes that week. _Maybe we better upgrade to knife work_ , he thought as he remembered the one she showed him when she got back to the tower, the one currently resting beside her plate like another piece of everyday silverware; the one everyone was highly aware of but said nothing about. From the Winter Soldier she'd told him. While it gave him pause that there was some super assassin running around giving her knives, he did kind of have a point. He made a mental note to talk with Tasha (yes he had more than one nickname for his best friend) about it later.

Beside Clint, Tony sat methodically chewing his food as he stared at the girl sitting in front of him. He was probably creeping her out but he couldn't help it. Every day something she said or did reminded him of himself or his parents. There! Right there, she had his chin… Didn't she? Was that his mother's nose? But if that were true then the tests would've come back- Tony's fork clattered loudly to his plate, disturbing everyone out of the various conversations around the table. "Shit," he quickly pushed back from his seat and left the room; not even Pepper's protests able to bring him back.

But he did come back 2 minutes later, presumably for the phone that lay forgotten next to his plate on the table. That assumption was quickly thrown out the window when he reached across the table and snatched a few hairs out of Darcy's head. "Almost forgot."

"Fucking ouch man, use your big boy words," Darcy exclaimed dropping her quiche laden fork.

"Tony!" Pepper shouted.

Ignoring everyone's expressions of surprise and shock, Tony swept back out of the room.

Darcy glanced at everyone else at the table before she grabbed her knife, jumped up, and followed him, Pepper in her wake. They both wanted an explanation as to why he'd nearly snatched her bald.

They found him in his lab finishing up a conversation with Jarvis about genetic markers.

"...a few hours sir."

"Good, let me know as soon as it's done J."

"Umm, what the hell is going on? You almost scalped me Tony!"

Pepper took point from there, least she let Darcy take her completely understandable rage out on Tony. The avengers still needed him in working order and she figured he'd be no use without his spleen.

"Tony, why did you feel the need to fling yourself into the path of a possible lawsuit?" She eyed the knife clutched in Darcy's hand. "And assault?"

"Hmm...oh, hey Pep, Possible Offspring. Yeah, sorry not sorry about that, I need to check something - see what's missing." He was so focused on the various screens he had pulled up around the lab, he didn't even turn to face them as he spoke.

"Tony we've talked about this; you cannot physically change Darcy's DNA to match yours. It's dangerous and unethical." Pepper sighed tiredly. She had only just talked him down the week before.

Darcy looked back and forth between them, "Wait, what?"

Tony flapped a hand at her. "No, not that. I scrapped operation GMD- Genetically Modified Darcy days ago. After Bruce hulked out on me and you," he pointed to Pepper, "bitched me out in my own tower."

"Half your tower, the other half is mine," Pepper retorted with a snort.

"Wait, What?!" Darcy repeated in astonishment. "That's what that was all about? You told me you asked him if 'everything' turned hulk sized whenever he transformed or if he lost something along the way like it happens with steroids. I even fist bumped you. You were gonna genetically modify me?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Please, I asked him that question the day I met him. And well yeah, I was. At least until Bruce turned into a holier than thou diva with a severe case of the jolly greens and Pepper browbeat me out of it."

Pepper threw her hands into the air, "Well what are you doing now? Let's remember you just casually ripped hair out of Darcy's scalp! This is not okay Tony."

Tony opened his mouth to answer when Jane burst into the lab, followed by Thor, Bruce and the rest of the team.

Jane protectively wrapped herself around Darcy like a snake as she glared at Tony. "My lab assistant, mine! Nobody is experimenting on her. Stay the hell away from her DNA! "

"Aww Bruce, you're such a tattle tale. And that's not what I'm-"

"I do believe the doctor is right, Stark. We tried something similar on Asguard millennia ago - it did not end well. Whispers of the horrors of mutation are still heard of to this day."

Bruce clenched his hands agitatedly. "You can't mess with stuff like this Tony, otherwise you'll get another mishap like me. You don't want to do that to Darcy."

"That's not what-"

"Even in my day when there was a call for such risks, there was hesitancy. What happened with me was done out of desperation and I only stepped forward because I had nothing else to lose. And even then I owed it all to luck as well as science and research that I turned out the way I did. Did you even look at any of the dangers this type of procedure could pose for Darcy? The repercussions if you went through with it?"

Tony sighed, ignoring Steve, and took a step towards Darcy, "Look kid I-"

Natasha stepped in front of Darcy, surprisingly showing more anger than usual. "You don't screw with people's lives this way Tony, it's sick and I won't let you use Darcy as a lab rat to boost your ego. You already have enough shiny toys for that."

Noticing how tense his partner had gotten and noticing everyone else noticing it too, Clint stepped forward to stand beside Natasha. "Alright man, I'm not condemning your genius or anything but we need to draw a line here. Altering people's genetic make-up is kinda up there, even for you."

Sam didn't say anything, just crossed his arms and leaned against the wall as he watched the rest of the team.

Tony sucked in a deep breath, "Would you all shut the hell up! Jesus, I'm not messing with the kid's DNA, as I told her earlier before you all pulled this very unwanted and _unneeded_ intervention I scrapped those plans days ago- Natasha put the freaking gun down- where'd you even have that? You're wearing a tank top and yoga pants. Anyway, I think Darcy is my daughter and I'm having Jarvis run the tests."

Darcy shrugged out of Jane's arms and stepped forward. "But the DNA test said you weren't."

Tony nodded absently as he tapped something out on one of the screens, "Like all the rest, I know."

"Umm.." Darcy broke the sudden silence in the room, "just how many times have you had this test done?"

"At least three," Tony answered with a flap of his hand.

"Three?"

"Hence the plan for GMD. But then Brucey pulled his freak out.."

"Genetic mutations Tony!"

"...and I scrapped it. But then I realized, I had the testing done twice at Stark Memorial and I sent it out to a private company the last time. But Stark Memorial had Hydra plants and if we're being watched then anything we send out could be intercepted as well."

Pepper was the first to catch on. "You think the results may have been switched."

"Exactly. And if that's the case, then Darcy really could be my kid, and half yours Pepper. So I'm having Jarvis do the test here."

"He can do that? Wait, how would I be half Pepper's?"

"He can as of five minutes ago. And everything I have is half Pepper's."

"Oh, ok. That makes sense." All of this was weird, Darcy thought, but it did make a sick sort of sense.

So that's how the avengers and Darcy, Pepper, and Jane ended up sitting around in Tony's lab watching Frozen (because Darcy hadn't eased Steve into Game of Thrones yet) of all things and waiting for a big holographic timer to go off.

* * *

 _2 hours later…_

The timer went off. No one moved as they stared back and forth between Tony and Darcy.

"Sir," Jarvis cut in, "would you like to hear the results?"

"Yeah J, go ahead."

The results popped up on the screen. "Miss Lewis's DNA tested against yours matches to the 99.99th percentile. She is your biological offspring."

The ensuing silence almost deafened the lab.

"Okay," Pepper clapped her hands together after the shocked silence started to run longer than five minutes, "I think it would be best if we let Darcy and Tony have a few minutes to speak privately." She ushered everyone else out as newly discovered father and daughter stared at each other across the room.

"So," she started faintly, "the short gene came from you huh?"

"Hey!"

"Dude what? My mom was willowy and so is my aunt, though you probably couldn't tell after all the years with _him_."

The way she bit off the end of her sentence caught Tony's attention. "Who?"

"Eh? Just my aunt's husband- no one important," she answered grudgingly, eyes darting around the room.

"Uh huh, if he's no one important then why do you look like you wanna spit at the mere mention of him? And don't act like you don't, Romanoff noticed it too- well ok way before me. She says that some of your reactions to things show patterns of past abuse. I'm not trying to push here kid but I am pushy and I gotta know that you're alright. You became my family way before this test proved me right."

Darcy swallowed against the lump in her throat, to be quite honest she had started to see him as family too.

She found a spot on the wall over his shoulder to stare at. "Look it's nothing alright. Uncle Richard married my aunt about 5 months before I ended up living with her. Before they started dating, she was fun and free. She used to come visit me and my mom all the time and we'd go out and have random adventures. After Richard it was like she was a piece of the furniture, pretty to show off to visitors, unheard unless it was allowed, obedient to his whims. He didn't like me because I was none of those things. I refused to be."

Tony was watching her with concern. "What happened, what did he do?"

Her eyes shifted to him and then darted away again, the memories threatening to swallow her whole.

"Nothing really. But I don't like small dark spaces I'll tell you that. But don't worry I blew that place as soon as I turned 17, haven't talked to them since. Well, this has been fun. No really, it's nice to know that we're actually related and all that jazz. And hey, we got a little closer today, shared some issues. We even solved the mystery of my shortness which, believe me has plagued me my _entire_ life. To have the pain of not being able to reach something on the top shelf and not knowing why, such a relief to finally understand. So many questions answered! So I gotta go because Jane, that's right Jane, asked me to help her calibrate something...not here. So that's where I gotta be right now. There, not here. Alright, see ya daddy-o." She winced as she hurriedly left. _Daddy-o? Really Darce?_

Tony was staring after Darcy's retreating back and trying to figure out how to track down 'Uncle Richard' and hand feed him his testicles when he about jumped out of his skin when the Black Widow shifted her stance beside him, therefore announcing her presence in the room.

She allowed a small smirk to cross her face before it shifted back to its normal state.

"You know that was deflection right? Horrible deflection, but deflection all the same. She's not telling the whole story."

Tony nodded firmly. "Yeah I got that. What else could she be hiding? I know this 'Uncle Richard' isn't winning any humanitarian awards but to what extent? I'm gonna have to do some hacking if the way she just rabbited out of here is any indication. She's not gonna talk. What has me worried is that she gave up the claustrophobia thing a little too easy."

"She's been locked in small spaces probably multiple times, most likely without food or water. I'm guessing that's why she didn't hide in the closet along with Jane back in London when she was taken. She claimed there wasn't enough space for the both of them but that was not true, it would have been a tight fit but it was big enough. The way she sometimes shies away from men when she first meets them is another indicator, as is the taser. She makes sure she has something to protect herself at all times. Her tasing Thor for example; Jane told me she did so because he seemed aggressive and ready to charge. And she has scars on her back. I saw them when she was sick with the flu. I've also noticed she never really says where she's from, just where she went to college and how she met Jane. And she said she left as soon as she turned 17 not 18, which appears to me that she _had_ to leave not just that she wanted to. Something happened that made her run, something with her aunt and uncle, which means-"

"They might still be looking for her." Tony sighed as he let the implications sink in. Rage burned through his veins. To know that she'd been abused and he hadn't been around to stop it. Hadn't known about her so he _could_ be there to stop it.

"Precisely," Nat concluded, bringing Tony back to the conversation at hand.

"Alright Jarvis, you heard the agent, looks like we're gonna have some asses to kick and some people to counter-sue. So let's track down said asses so we can get this show on the road. No one fucks with my long lost never known about kid. Get me everything you can find on Darcy Lewis, hack everything."

Natasha gave a cold cruel little smile, "Don't worry Tony, they'll find us."

"Damn right they will...wait a minute, how the hell did you even get in here in the first place? I had Jarvis lock the lab down until either I or Darcy decided to leave the room."

Natasha said nothing in response, only gave a faint smile as she walked out the room.

* * *

Tony paced back and forth about the communal living room. He had called an impromptu team meeting, following the reveal from earlier that morning, some things need to be set straight.

"So, now that we've established that Darcy is _in fact_ my biological daughter," he zeroed in on Steve, "keep your distance Spangles."

Captain America's eyebrows rose in surprise, as Darcy who had been avoiding Tony all day after filling him in on a little of her history, shot straight up in surprise in her seat on the couch.

Clint laughed and Tony snapped his gaze over to him. "That goes for you too, _Hawkeye_."

Darcy turned to Pepper who was rubbing her temples as Tony moved on to eye Sam (who failed in trying to choke back his laughter) suspiciously. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," Pepper sighed, she wouldn't say she was completely surprised that Tony had called a team meeting just to warn the men in the tower away from his daughter. She gave Darcy a sunny smile. "Welcome to the family."

Glancing over at Nat, Jane, Bruce, and Thor, who all seemed to be watching the billionaire's tirade with interest and where absolutely no help, Darcy threw her hands up in the air and turned back to Tony; this was getting ridiculous. "Dude, I was helping out a friend! That fake kiss meant nothing," she glanced at Steve, "no offence."

"None taken," Steve shrugged.

Tony's eyes shot to Steve and Darcy in horror as Sam and Clint guffawed in the background. "What kiss?"

Darcy sighed. _When had her life become a Soap?_

* * *

Bucky watched the people milling around on the street. Going about their day in their own safe little worlds. Well as safe as they could be living in the city that hosted a number of the world's most well-known heroes. The enemy could be anywhere. He looked back up at the tower again. She was in there somewhere. _But was she safe_?

He shoved his fists into the pockets of his worn jacket and crossed the street. Stopping next to the traffic light on the corner, he brought his head up and looked directly into the lense of the second camera he knew belonged to Stark. He then turned and walked into the parking garage behind him, making sure he was in full view. It wouldn't be long now.


End file.
